Apparel exporters in Bangladesh, who have been struggling for nearly a year on account of the COVID-19 fallouts, are now made to deal with significant increase of air shipment rates for cargoes flying out of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

As per reports, at present, around 400 tonnes of cargo are transported by air from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport every day — before the coronavirus pandemic hit Bangladesh in March last year, volume was 900 tonnes — with garments accounting for 80 per cent of it.

Higher shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE), face masks, bedsheets and isolation bed sheets, gowns, coupled with regular apparel items have fuelled the demand for air shipment from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport even as the airlines have, reportedly, raised the rate owing to growing demand for air shipment amidst improving global outlook and squeezing of carrying capacity from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by around 60 per cent over the last few months subsequent to suspension of cargo and passenger flights by some international flight operators.

Reports claim airlines are charging between US $ 3.20 and US $ 3.30 per kilogramme from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to any airport in the European Union without trucking facility while rates are between US $ 3.55 and US $ 3.65 per kilogramme with trucking facility.

The rates ranged from US $ 1.70 to US $ 1.80 in March.

I will face a major loss if I send goods via air, reportedly, maintained Managing Director of Kappa Fashions, Ahmed F. Rahman while referring to one of his European buyer’s demand to send the goods through air, which prompted Ahmed to request the buyer concerned to cancel the order considering the increased air freight rates.

Luckily, the buyer agreed to bear the air shipment cost, said a relieved Ahmed.