U.K. forwarders: Air backlog will take time to clear

The British International Freight Association (BIFA), the trade association for U.K. freight forwarders, said Tuesday the unprecedented closure of European airspace is likely to lead to significant backlogs of air freight when clearance to fly is eventually given.
'Whilst airspace in parts of Scotland reopened today, flight restrictions remain in place for most of the U.K.,' said Peter Quantrill, BIFA director general. 'A fresh ash cloud from Iceland appears to be heading in the direction of the U.K. and Ireland and uncertainty remains over plans to open additional airspace. Clearly this is a dynamic and constantly changing situation and it is therefore difficult to predict what the overall impact will be.'

Quantrill

   BIFA has been advising its members to encourage customers to retain cargo in their own premises until there is some real clarity regarding when flights are likely to resume.
   “We have to be realistic,' Quantrill said. 'By volume, international trade in goods relies more heavily on road, rail and sea freight than it does on air freight. However, by value air freight is responsible for around a quarter of international trade in goods and the disruption has caused real problems for those trading perishable goods, including food and flowers, vital pharmaceuticals, important medicines, electronic components and essential spare parts which depend on air freight.
   'The backlog is likely to take some considerable time, not days, to clear. After all, airfreight capacity was already quite tight on certain routes into and from the U.K. before last Thursday anyway.'

FreightWaves Staff