An employee works at an Amazon delivery station in Rozenburg on November 30, 2022. - Netherlands OUT (Photo by Phil Nijhuis / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT (Photo by PHIL NIJHUIS/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Air Transport Services Group (ATSG), which handles cargo for Amazon and DHL, said the companies are cutting back on flights in response to lower customer demand.
"Both companies are adjusting their ground and air distribution and fulfillment networks in the United States to conform to reduced U.S. economic growth and consumer spending levels in the first half of 2023," the company said in a news release.
ATSG said the 767 freighters dedicated to those customers will see reduced schedules and fewer block hours per aircraft in 2023 compared to last year.
This tracks with recent data from the International Air Transport Association, which found that global demand for cargo was down 13.7 percent year-over-year in November.
“Air cargo performance softened in November, the traditional peak season," said Willie Walsh, director of IATA. "Resilience in the face of economic uncertainties is demonstrated with demand being relatively stable on a month-to-month basis. But market signals are mixed."
Amazon notably just reported one of its worst-ever quarters. The company has announced plans to cut 18,000 jobs and hit the brakes on its ongoing build-out of warehouses.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
