Issue Summary

Airlines rediscovered freight during the pandemic. Well, that's not strictly true: Cargo always has been an important revenue stream. But with the surge in e-commerce during the pandemic, maritime shipping's bottlenecks, and factories rushing to restock, one of the least glamorous parts of the industry is getting more attention. Even if maritime freight gets its footing back and factories finish the restocking cycle, the shift toward e-commerce likely is structural and will only grow. For many airlines, cargo footed the bills during the pandemic and they want to keep that revenue stream flowing.