Martin Placek
Research expert covering transportation and electronics
Coronavirus: impact on the transportation and logistics industry worldwide - statistics & facts
When the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in early 2020, more and more countries across the globe shut down their borders and limited transportation and travel to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, thus, creating impediments for international trade and transportation. As the outbreak caused disruptions in supply chain operations, the logistics and transportation industries were hampered in various ways across air, freight, and sea segments.
For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Fact and Figures page.
Passenger air traffic emerges as one of the hardest-hit segments
The maritime shipping segment saw the number of blank and skipped sailings peak in May 2020, several months after factories and retail outlets had to close down. Compared to other sectors, however, the aviation industry was likely hit the hardest, and the passenger segment suffered the most. In 2020, global air traffic passenger demand slumped by almost 66 percent year-on-year. Concurrently, worldwide air cargo traffic declined by around nine percent. Compared to passenger air transportation, the impact of COVID-19 on the freight aviation industry was relatively mild because regulatory restrictions were less stringent: virtually all passenger flights were canceled amid the coronavirus outbreak around the globe. The weekly number of international scheduled flights declined by roughly 46.4 percent during the week of March 23, 2020. Scheduled flights were down by around 43.5 percent in the week starting January 4, 2021.Spotlight on mobility patterns
The road and rail segments followed a similar trend. As a result of measures taken to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries began to place extensive restrictions on travel. When these were lifted, mobility in cities began to rise, before a second and a third wave forced several regions back into lockdown.For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Fact and Figures page.
