Air freight fell by over 40 percent in Switzerland in 2020

The transport services in freight transport decreased by 0.9% on the road and by 2.7% on the rail in 2020. In the Swiss Rhine ports in Basel, 15.5% fewer goods were handled. Air freight was significantly more affected, with a decline in transport volumes of 41%. This is evident from the freight transport statistics of the Federal Statistical Office (BFS).

To ensure the supply of the population even during the Covid-19 pandemic, road freight transport was not restricted by official measures, but was temporarily exempted from certain regulations, such as the night and Sunday driving ban for essential goods. Nevertheless, in the second quarter of 2020 (April-June), the number of kilometers driven by heavy goods vehicles was as low as it was last in 2003, namely 549 million. Compared to 2019, this corresponds to a decrease of 5.9%. The decline was stronger for foreign vehicles at -11.2% than for trucks and articulated lorries registered in Switzerland at -4.5%. In the other quarters of 2020, the driving performance was in line with the previous years, resulting in an overall decline of 1.6% for the entire year.

Decline in rail freight transport is low in long-term comparison

The transport services in rail freight transport decreased by 2.7% in 2020 compared to 2019, amounting to 9.8 billion net ton-kilometers. This brought the transport performance down to the level of 2012. However, the decrease measured in the “Corona year” 2020 does not stand out particularly in historical long-term comparison: since the beginning of the 20th century, significantly stronger declines in rail freight transport have been observed multiple times.
In the first quarter of 2020, the decline in rail transport was 4.6%, in the second quarter 14.9%, and in the third quarter 3.3% (compared to the respective quarters of the previous year). In the last quarter of 2020, transport services increased by 2.9%, noting that the value in the fourth quarter of 2019 was exceptionally low. A comparable decline to that in the second quarter of the Corona year 2020 was last seen in the third quarter of 2017 with -11.9%. At that time, the German Rhine Valley Railway had to be closed for several weeks due to a rail subsidence.

Lower demand for mineral oil products affects Rhine shipping

In 2020, 5.1 million tons of goods were handled in the Swiss Rhine ports in Basel. This is 15.5% less than in 2019 (6.1 million tons). The decline affected both the receipt of goods (4.3 million tons; -15.3%) and their dispatch (0.8 million tons; -16.3%). The decrease is mainly due to the most important goods group of Rhine shipping: mineral oil products.
Due to the reduced mobility of the population during the “lockdown”, the lower economic performance, and the well-filled heating oil tanks at the beginning of the year, the demand for mineral oil products decreased significantly in 2020, resulting in corresponding handling at the Rhine ports decreasing by 19.2% to 2.3 million tons compared to the previous year. The decline was less severe at -12.4% for container traffic (handling 2020: 0.6 million net tons).

Decrease in air freight by more than 40%

In terms of volume, air freight plays a negligible role compared to other modes of transport; however, high-value goods are often transported by aircraft. The transport of goods by aircraft collapsed with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic: in March 2020, 37% and in April even 68% less freight and mail were transported than in 2019. In the months from May to December, the losses ranged between -57% (May) and -37% (December). Over the entire year 2020, the decline compared to 2019 was around 41% (2020: 275,000 tons, 2019: 463,000 tons).The air freight sector was thus significantly more affected by the Corona crisis than other modes of transport. The reason for this was not primarily the decreased demand, but the lack of transport capacities. The majority of air freight in Switzerland is not transported in dedicated cargo planes but as “belly freight” in the lower deck of passenger planes. The widespread grounding of passenger fleets from around March 2020 also affected air freight. An exception is the Basel-Mulhouse airport, where air freight is primarily handled with cargo planes, and where 3% more goods were transported in 2020 compared to 2019. In contrast, freight tonnages in Geneva decreased by 37% and in Zurich even by 49%.

Title photo: © Loginfo24

Graphics: © Federal Statistical Office