COVID-Related Restrictions Force Cargo Airlines to Cancel Hundreds of China Flights

Friday, August 13, 2021 at 07:20 PM ET

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Chinese and international airlines are canceling cargo and passenger flights at airports such as Shanghai Pudong International because of COVID. wikimediaimages/Pixabay

Key Takeaways:

Chinese COVID-19 restrictions have led to hundreds of cargo flight cancellations and severely reduced workforce availability at multiple airports due to strict quarantine rules for staff and pilots.
These disruptions are significantly curtailing air cargo operations, causing labor shortages for handling cargo, impacting pilot duty times, and forcing airlines to adapt operational procedures.
The resulting scarcity of long-haul aircraft is projected to dramatically increase freight rates, potentially making air transport five to six times more expensive than normal.