Global air freight volumes declined by about 7% in the week leading up to the Lunar New Year holiday, reflecting a typical seasonal slowdown as shippers and forwarders prepare for factory closures and reduced business activity across key Asian markets.
Industry data showed that demand for air cargo capacity dipped sharply in the run-up to the holiday period, with airlines reporting lower cargo tonnage on major trade lanes. The reduction is largely attributed to exporters completing shipments early and pausing new bookings as manufacturers, particularly in China and Southeast Asia, wind down operations for the celebrations.
“Air cargo patterns always shift around the Lunar New Year,” an industry analyst said. “Forwarders and carriers anticipate reduced output from Asian factories, so demand softens ahead of the holiday and then gradually picks up once operations resume.”
The slowdown has implications for freight rates, which have experienced downward pressure amid weaker demand and ample capacity. Several air cargo carriers have adjusted flying schedules or temporarily redeployed capacity to markets less affected by the holiday effect.
Logistics providers also noted that importers in Europe and North America are recalibrating inventory strategies to account for the shipment gap associated with the holiday, when many factories and supply chain partners are offline for several days.
While the pre-holiday dip is considered a normal part of the annual freight cycle, carriers and shippers are closely watching how quickly volumes rebound once the Lunar New Year festivities conclude, as pent-up demand could lead to a sharp uptick in cargo traffic in the following weeks.