Lufthansa Cargo is not accepting any additional freight for transport to Shanghai until August 27, 2021, due to new COVID-19 restrictions in China affecting cargo handling.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) is mainland China’s largest cargo airport, but rising COVID-19 case numbers in China have led to new restrictions and affected handling capacity in recent days.
“These new restrictions apply to airport staff, working as frontline staff for international air traffic, and have led to a significant reduction in freight handling capacities at some Chinese airports,” Lufthansa Cargo tells AeroTime News.
Lufthansa Cargo has therefore had to adjust its flight schedule. “We are not accepting any additional freight for transport to Shanghai up to and including August 27. Goods that have already been delivered to us will be shipped on the remaining flights,” the company said.
“Because the situation remains unstable, further changes may be necessary,” the freight arm of Lufthansa Group added. “The Lufthansa Cargo team is doing all it can to minimize the impact on our customers.”
Other carriers, such as Qatar Airways and Polar Cargo, are rerouting cargo to Guangzhou, Zhengzhou and Shenzhen, or Hong Kong, Freight Waves reported.
Etihad Cargo and other carriers have cancelled flights over the weekend, Freight Waves added, saying the new restrictions would lead to backlogs and further impact already stretched supply chains.