Drewry: Air rates continue to rise in April

   The price of transporting a kilogram of air freight on East-West lanes in April rose the highest level since December, according to Drewry.
   Drewry’s East-West Air Freight Price Index gained finished the month at $3.38 per kilogram, a $0.04 rise over March’s result. In December, it cost shippers an average of $3.58 to ship a kilogram of cargo by air, but that number dropped to $3.21 in January.
   Last April’s average stood at $3.21.
   The index averages together prices — including fuel and security surcharges — paid by forwarders on 21 lanes.
   According to Drewry analysts, this continued increase from March was predicted because of seasonal demand recovery. They also noted that fashion cargo and high-tech launches propped up Asian traffic.
   “The fact that the trade managed to sustain pricing gains made in March into April, provides further evidence of improving market conditions,” the firm said. “However, Drewry expects overall pricing to fall in the coming months, as more seasonal bellyhold capacity comes into the market.”