#Covid19 & #SocialDistancingNow have emptied airports globally. Many passenger planes sit idle. But look at this @flightaware image. Thousands are still flying with no passengers. @NatSecAnswers asked @AfAExecDirector Brandon Fried -Why? Follow this thread for the answer.
ANSWER: "To most outsiders, the air cargo industry is primarily comprised of UPS and FedEx planes sitting at airports during the day and flying at night. These express carriers carry about one-half of the world's air shipments.
Freight forwarders, on the other hand, move the remaining portion of the cargo using airline flights and other modes. Under the feet of passengers are shipments generally consisting of consumer goods, automotive parts, trade show exhibits, and of course,
critical medical supplies supporting the healthcare industry. The list of products is long and often surprising.
As the #coronavirus crisis created travel bans between the U.S., China, and now Europe,
airlines internationally reacted to less demand with drastic passenger flight schedule reductions. This shortage of space means that freight forwarders who, while contending with lower demand, are struggling to transport shipments from essential medical, pharmaceutical, and
perishable food shippers. But airlines throughout the world are USING THEIR EMPTY JETS to meet the challenge by flying flights, chartered by freight forwarders with no passengers and JUST CARGO.
When combined with a significant community of freighter aircraft operated by airlines that never fly people, vital shipments are reaching their destinations. The cost might be higher than usual since passengers are not above to offset the operational expense of the flight.
However, global air commerce continues to move in its traditional time-saving fashion." That is a key part of U.S. national security.
You can learn more about @AfAExecDirector Brandon Fried and the Air Forwarders Association here: airforwarders.org/cpages/afa-exe…
If you have a national security question, follow @NatSecAnswers and send us your question. We'll get the answer. #A12 @mvhaydencenter @LarryPfeifferDC @NTI_WMD @COGwin @MarkJRozellGMU @GCorreaCabrera
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