Article citation information:
Macioszek, E. Cargo transport on the example of a selected mode of
transport in Poland. Scientific Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series
Transport. 2024, 122,
181-197. ISSN: 0209-3324. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20858/sjsutst.2024.122.10.
Elżbieta MACIOSZEK[1]
CARGO TRANSPORT ON THE EXAMPLE OF A SELECTED MODE OF TRANSPORT IN POLAND
Summary. The
article presents the problem of the cargo transport with the example of a
selected mode of transport in Poland. The volume of goods transported by air
transport in 2010-2021 was analysed. Cargo transport in air transport is very
popular. From year to year, there is an increase in the volume of transported
goods. The coronavirus pandemic, and the related economic crisis did not
significantly affect cargo transport, as was the case with passenger transport,
the number of which decreased significantly during the pandemic.
Keywords: air
transport, transport, traffic engineering
1.
INTRODUCTION
Air transport is one of the fastest, most expensive, and, at the same
time, the safest forms of transport. This highly effective way of moving
people, cargo, and information is a key element of Poland's economic
infrastructure, as well as an interpretation of the development of the economy
of the entire globe [6], [13]. The economic impact of this mode of transport is
both indirect and direct, and its development is a dynamic and variable process.
Transport itself, by reducing transport time and costs as well as increasing
the speed and volume of flows, affects the accessibility of markets, even those
with an increasingly large spatial range [15], [16], [19], [32].
The market, in turn, is defined in the scientific literature as an
economic institution enabling the exchange of goods, services, and production
factors [9], [20], [28]. The structure of the market is determined by the
number of buyers and sellers, which is of great importance for its functioning.
The more participants there are, the weaker their position on the market. The
market can be considered on many economic levels. One of them is the air
transport market. When explaining the concept of the air transport market, one
should bear in mind the aspect of its functioning because it can be referred to
as a place, process or even space [1], [27], [36].
According to the definitions [14], [29], [37], the air transport market
is a place, process, space, situation, sector, mechanism or set of conditions
in which the company operates and in which it defines its potential rivals as
well as actual and potential buyers, sellers offering air transport services
for sale, and buyers requesting specific air transport services, supported by
an appropriate purchasing fund. The air transport market is also defined as an
economically and organizationally coherent structure governing and regulating
according to specific rules and principles. There is an exchange of value of
services and information on the market; there are negotiation and competitive
processes on the branch and inter-industry scale [25], [30, 31]. There are many
entities on the air transport market, both internal and external, which to a
greater or lesser extent affect its operational activity. The main entities
present in the air transport market include [31]:
- aviation
organizations (international, state, private),
- airlines,
- carriers,
- airports,
- organizations
cooperating and supporting services (travel agencies, tourist agencies, etc.),
- capital groups
related to air transport,
- manufacturers of
aviation equipment, aircraft, infrastructure, and other equipment used in this
type of activity,
- other producers
providing services to carriers and airports,
- demand buyers
(institutional and natural persons).
All entities operating within the market share similar features that
enable the creation of a common air transport environment and allow the
regulation of buyers' behavior. The aforementioned air transport environment
can be divided into several smaller markets, called sub-markets. This confirms
how extensive the mode of transport is air transport. The air transport market
is multi-level, which provides it with a number of opportunities and gives it
an advantage over other carriers or modes of transport. It is worth mentioning
that despite the continuous technological and economic development over the
years, the factors taken into account for the division into sub-markets do not
change significantly and remain valid [13], [43].
The article presents the problem of the cargo transport on the example
of a selected mode of transport in Poland. The volume of goods transported by
air transport in 2010–2021 was analysed. After the introduction, the
second section contains the characteristics of air transport in Poland. Then,
in the third section, the principles and ways of transporting cargo by air are
presented. In turn, the course of the transport process for cargo in air
transport is presented in the fourth section. The fifth section contains an
analysis of the cargo transport volume in Polish airports. The last, sixth
section contains a summary and conclusions from the analyzes carried out in the
article.
2. AIR TRANSPORT IN POLAND
Dynamic changes related to the development of the air services market were
initiated with Poland's accession to the European Union, which forced the
liberalization of regulations related to access to the Polish market by
carriers from EU countries and vice versa. Since then, the air transport
services market has become part of the European and global transport systems,
additionally enriched by three Open Sky policy packages [10], [39].
Among the other benefits resulting from Poland's integration with the
European Union, the following can be distinguished [36]:
- development of passenger
service by air carriers and airports,
- high involvement of
foreign air carriers,
- competitive processes
in the aviation market,
- investment processes
in air transport companies,
- greater involvement
of regions in the development of air transport,
- development of the
network of connections.
Another breakthrough moment for Polish civil aviation was 2007, when the
number of passengers and goods served at airports significantly increased, as
well as the number of air operations performed. Since that year, the number of
entities holding concessions for air transport has been successively
increasing, including the share of low-cost carriers [39]. The range of air
services in Poland is quite diverse and conditioned by many factors. Currently,
there are several dozen air carriers operating in Poland on all routes, both
domestic, continental, and non-European. Some of them have their headquarters
in Poland, and some are abroad. The former are authorized to provide their
services based on a license issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and
the others on the basis of certificates of their country, bilateral agreements
or an open skies agreement. Other differences between carriers’ concern,
among others, size, form of ownership, capital structure, and fleet of aircraft
owned. Carriers on the air transport services market perform regular and
charter flights or operate the so-called little air traffic. However, the
largest share in the Polish market (about 80%) is held by regular transport
[35]. Among the entities holding the CAA concession for conducting business in
the field of air transport, the following companies can be mentioned: Enter
Air, Ibex U.L., PLL LOT, Sky Taxi, AMC Aviation, Travel Service Poland, Smart
Jet or Sprintair Cargo. PLL LOT remains the largest Polish carrier, which has
been systematically expanding its network of connections since 2016, fearing
growing competition [35].
When characterizing air transport, one should mention its
infrastructure, which includes linear and point elements. The first group is
the airspace, divided vertically and horizontally into air corridors, along
which aircraft can move at a certain distance from each other and at a certain
time interval [18]. As for the point infrastructure of air transport, it
includes all airstrips and airports, without which the operation of air
carriers would not be possible. Fifteen airports are currently located in
Poland. These are:
- Warsaw Airport (WAW),
- Kraków-Balice
Airport (KRK),
- Airport Gdansk (GDN),
- Katowice-Pyrzowice
Airport (KTW),
- Wroclaw-Starachowice
Airport (WRO),
- Warsaw/Modlin Airport
(WMI),
- Poznań-Ławica
Airport (POZ),
- Rzeszów-Jasionka
Airport (RZE),
- Szczecin-Goleniów
Airport (SZZ),
- Lublin Airport (LUZ),
- Bydgoszcz Airport
(BZG),
- Lodz-Lublinek Airport
(LCJ),
- Olsztyn-Mazury Airport
(SZY),
-
Zielona Góra-Babimost Airport (IEG),
- Radom-Sadków
Airport (RDO).
In accordance with the classification provided by the European Union
guidelines, airports have been divided into central, regional and local
airports. There is also a second division that distinguishes four categories of
airports: A, B, C and D, depending on the number of passenger flights per year.
Regardless of the size of the airports, each of them is assigned a three-letter
alphanumeric IATA (International Air Transport Association) code. The largest
airport in Poland is the Chopin Airport in Warsaw. It is a central airport that
handled over 18.8 million passengers in
The air transport market is, on the one hand, an area of advanced
cooperation and, on the other hand, an arena of strong competition. The
competition present in every sector of the economy consists of the competition
of independently operating entrepreneurs aiming at achieving similar economic
goals. This competition is between two (or more) parties called competitors.
These are entrepreneurs who currently or potentially introduce or purchase
goods on the relevant market at the same time [34]. In the air transport
market, competitors can be all entities operating within it, which, generally
speaking, will compete for customers and benefits resulting from specific
relationships. However, the main group of competitors in the air transport
market are carriers and airports. They compete in order to maintain or, more
often, to increase their position in the market. Carriers providing air
transport services compete for buyers, ticket prices, the market position of
entities on the supply side, and the quality of services provided. In turn, the
subject of competition of airports may be, for example, carriers, buyers of air
services, fly connections or funds for development. Sometimes competition takes
on an unfair character because it is motivated, for example, by the desire to
achieve a monopoly and exclude others, especially smaller players. Therefore,
air carriers enter into various types of agreements and alliances that favor
internal coordination of activities and, more importantly, help to use labor
resources more efficiently and protect market interests [31]. An example of
such integration may be strategic alliances, which are popular among carriers,
i.e., relationships between enterprises aimed at achieving a common goal [32].
Airports also take all measures to strengthen their market and
competitive position. These entities mainly conclude agreements with carriers,
but also, for example, with airport security services or border guards. The
functioning of all these entities on the market depends on many political,
social, and economic factors. When talking about both intra-industry and
inter-industry competition, one should also remember about formal restrictions
on access to the air transport market, i.e., the so-called market entry
barriers, which include restrictions of [31]:
- formal and legal,
- technical and
technological,
- operational,
- economic (mainly
capital),
- qualitative in the
process of educating services,
- resulting from the
image of the airline.
Air transport is undoubtedly a pillar of the global economy on which the
activities of many other industries depend. It is not without reason that for
years there has been a close relationship between the rate of growth of air
passenger transport and the rate of economic growth of the world's major
economies [38]. The development of the air transport industry is inevitable. It
is expected that in the coming years the air transport market will undergo many
changes regarding, for example, its shape or functioning. Further development
of air transport will be shaped by endogenous (working environment), and
exogenous (contextual environment) factors. Endogenous factors include [32]:
- technological
development,
- organization of the market,
- microeconomic
relations,
- legal regulations.
On the other hand, exogenous
factors include [32]:
- demographics,
- globalization,
- economy,
- random factors.
The development of the air transport market should therefore be
considered from a global perspective, as the changes that follow it affect
various aspects of everyday life, including the natural environment. In order
to reduce the negative impact of air transport development on individual areas
of economic, environmental, and social policy, the Renewed Sustainable
Development Strategy of the European Union was adopted [32]. Development
forecasts until 2030 indicate that the Polish air services market has quite a
large development potential. The task of the relevant services, institutions
and state authorities is to care for balanced and sustainable development,
taking into account safety standards and pro-ecological activities for the
natural environment.
3. CARGO TRANSPORT BY AIR
The
strong position of air transport as the main element of the infrastructure of
the modern world economy results not only from the migration needs of society,
but also from the choice of this type of transport as a method of delivering
goods. Cargo air transport is a noticeable part of the supply chain and takes part
in its individual processes, ensuring consistency and flexibility of operation.
This air transport link in the supply chain participates in the creation of its
value and, more importantly, has the ability to adapt to the constantly
changing environment [42].
In
fact, transporting goods by air looks a bit less promising. In terms of the
transported cargo weight, air transport, compared to other modes of transport,
has a slightly smaller share in servicing the international exchange of goods.
It is not yet the most popular form of distribution among exporters and
importers, which is mainly due to the costs, which often exceed the value of
the transported products. The transport of goods by air transport is not
door-to-door (d2d). For this reason, in addition to the basic costs directly
related to the flight itself, the air transport process generates a number of
other indirect costs in the form of supplementary activities, such as the
delivery of goods to and from the airport. In addition to the high cost of the
service, this type of transport of goods is associated with other limitations,
including the capacity of aircraft, which limits the size and weight of the
cargo, and high dependence on weather conditions [18].
Comparing
all modes of transport, there is no doubt that air transport is by far the
fastest form of transport. It is the time of operation that is the greatest and
strongest advantage of air transport. Thanks to the high-speed and
collision-free conditions of movement, it allows cargo or the service to
quickly reach the designated destination, which in some cases becomes crucial
due to the specificity of the transported cargo or the service itself. In
addition, air transport has other significant features, such as safety,
regularity of deliveries or geographical coverage. It is considered the safest
means of transport, for which distance is not a barrier. All these fundamental
advantages that distinguish air transport ultimately determine the choice of
this form of flow of goods and, at the same time, contribute to the further
development of global logistics [42].
Cargo
air transport plays a very important role in the international exchange of
goods. In the 21st century, where time is of the essence, this type of delivery
of goods allows for meeting the challenges posed by even the most demanding
customers. Under the term cargo, there is a practically unlimited assortment of
cargo that can be shipped to any point on the globe [17].
Various
types of goods are transported by air transport, ranging from ordinary luggage
with everyday items, through mail and courier parcels to animals or even cars.
Quite a large group of loads are postal items, which account for about 15% of
the total freight. Definitely, however, due to the very strong time-space compression,
and a high degree of safety, air transport is often used to transport products
with a short shelf life and fragile, delicate products that are highly
sensitive to shocks [23].
The
objects of transport in the air transport are most often [33], [42]:
- perishable goods,
- goods of increased
value,
- goods that expire
quickly,
- goods sensitive to
transport, e.g. electrical and electronic equipment,
- components and
semi-finished products for production,
- oversized loads, e.g.
machines, cars, metal articles, automotive equipment and its spare parts,
- groceries, e.g.
vegetables and fruits,
- plants, e.g. cut
flowers,
- pets,
- clothes,
- goods of small weight
and volume,
- post and express
mail.
As
in any mode of transport, in air transport there is also the transport of hazardous
materials. It is with regard to these types of goods that the requirements of
air transport become the most restrictive, as the hazardous materials present
on board the aircraft may pose a real threat to passengers and/or crew [26].
The transport of hazardous materials is subject to numerous, restrictive
national and international requirements, including the provisions of the IATA
DGR, which must be met in order for such a flight to take place at all. In
addition, in order to carry out such an operation, it is necessary to obtain
the consent of the countries that will participate in it. Such a transfer is
usually carried out by cargo planes, and safety in this area is constantly
monitored by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and IATA
[33], [42].
Cargo
loads in Poland are divided into two groups (possibly three, if post will also
be included). These are: cargo road feeder service (RFS), cargo on board, and
possibly a third group, i.e., cargo mail. Cargo RFS are loads transported using
the RFS technology, in which the intermediation of hubs is key. According to
the assumptions of this method, the freight is transported on trucks, then
cleared at the airport, and finally placed on the plane. Such a transport
technique is classified as unconventional transport. On the other hand, cargo
on board is cargo transported in the cargo space of aircraft [33], [42].
Air
cargo transport is carried out using aircraft. Aircraft are classified on the
basis of certain criteria, i.e., purpose, construction, or size. Due to the
purpose of the aircraft, the aircraft can be divided into [18]:
- passenger planes,
- cargo planes,
- civil aircraft,
- private planes,
- military aircraft.
Due to the
construction, aircrafts can be divided into [18]:
- narrow-body aircraft,
- wide-body aircraft.
Specialized
cargo planes, typically intended for the transport of cargo, were created in
response to various needs that create demand. These planes are called
freighters or cargo planes and are characterized by a special design and systems
supporting the processes of loading and unloading goods, making them suitable
for handling a variety of non-standard goods. Many of them are former passenger
planes, which, due to certain aspects of economics, have been rebuilt and
configured as cargo planes. Cargo planes are most often used in the transport
of oversized shipments because they have a load capacity of up to 250 tons.
Cargo planes are also used to transport general cargo [13].
Examples
of the possibilities of a single-load transport for individual cargo planes are
as follows [33]:
- Airbus A 300 cargo -
loading capacity 45 tons,
- Boeing 767 cargo -
loading capacity 60 tons,
- McDonnell MD 11 -
loading capacity 80 tons,
- Antonov An-124 -
loading capacity 110 tons,
- Boeing 747 cargo -
loading capacity 11 tons,
- Antonov An-225 -
loading capacity 250 tons.
Choosing
the right type of transport aircraft for a specific cargo transport, apart from
the loading capacity, it is worth paying attention to other equally important
auxiliary parameters, which include [42]:
- the size of the cargo
hold,
- transport speed,
- range,
- systems supporting
loading and unloading,
- type of engines,
- impact on the natural
environment.
Antonov
aircraft manufactured in Russia and Ukraine have very good transport parameters
and very good economic indicators. These are the most popular and, at the same
time, the most recognizable cargo planes, designed to transport the most
demanding freight. The largest, currently used and heaviest aircraft in history
is the Antonov An-225 Mrija [42]. However, taking into account the regularity
of flights, the largest cargo plane in Poland is the plane of the American
carrier UPS - McDonnell Douglas MD-
Carriers
of PLL LOT, Lufthansa, Emirates, and Qatar Airways are leaders in the transport
of cargo in Poland. According to statistics, the popular and reliable carrier
Lufthansa Cargo specializes in RFS flights. Lufthansa Cargo in Europe serves
over 75,000 loads per year.
For
the transport of goods, not only specialized cargo planes are used, but also
the lower baggage hatches of passenger planes. Currently, with a not very large
overall supply of cargo, over 50% of the load weight of cargo transport is
transported in this way, both by regular and charter traffic. This is one
example of a sustainable development strategy that prevents underutilization of
aircraft cargo space, reduces the number of flights, and thus reduces costs.
Passenger planes can take on board from 2 to 12 tons of cargo [13].
In
order to carry out the process of transporting goods by air transport, not only
various types of aircraft are used, but also various types of devices, systems,
and facilities operating on land. The key role is played by the technical
facilities and services provided by airports. While there should be no problems
with cargo handling by passenger planes, certain limitations may arise in the
case of larger planes. Not all airports are adapted to handle large transport
aircraft, and do not have the required infrastructure, such as, for example, a
runway of appropriate length. Airports authorized to handle cargo aircraft
should have the following characteristics [33]:
- availability of
specialized equipment used for loading and unloading oversized shipments,
- optimal location,
- facilitating the
customs procedure in the transit of goods within the EU countries,
- attractive rates of
airport charges,
- good cooperation on
the part of the airport manager or handling agent,
- the ability to handle
aircraft, and perform air operations around the clock.
A
characteristic element of the point infrastructure of each airport is the
airport terminal, i.e. a building or a complex of buildings intended for ground
handling and organizational activities related to air transport. Airports that
want to participate in the exchange of goods by air must additionally have a
cargo terminal, called a cargo terminal. A cargo terminal is a warehouse
facility usually located in front of the apron of transport aircraft, which,
thanks to the use of modern systems and technological solutions, helps in the
efficient and effective handling of goods, enables their loading, unloading,
and temporary storage. During the implementation of these processes, devices
and technical means of internal transport are used, such as, for example,
transport trolleys, cranes, conveyors, lifts, palletizers or depalletizers. In
such a terminal there are also other specialized vehicles used to move pallets
and containers from the airport apron, such as cargo transporters, the carrying
capacity of which is up to 7 tons [18].
At
airports, apart from terminal buildings, air traffic control towers, car parks,
and other technical buildings, there are also other necessary elements of
airport infrastructure, such as runways with the required parameters, aprons,
exit/access roads, equipped with horizontal and vertical signs, radar,
signaling devices or aircraft lighting and guidance systems [44]. The Polish
leaders in handling cargo traffic are currently two airports: International
Airport F. Chopin in Warsaw and International Airport Katowice-Pyrzowice, which
has the most modern cargo terminal. Together, these airports are responsible
for over 90% of all operations of this type performed in Poland [40].
4. THE COURSE OF THE CARGO TRANSPORT PROCESS IN AIR TRANSPORT
The
implementation of the cargo transport by air transport is preceded by a number
of necessary activities performed on land. Most of them take place in the cargo
terminal, whose main task is the forwarding and storage of goods. The
functioning of the air cargo terminal is based on the division into two service
zones: the generally accessible land side zone, where the delivery and collection
of goods takes place, and the internal air side zone, where transport from the
apron takes place [21]. The organizational activities preparing the goods for
the flight include customs, forwarding, and logistic services.
The
service of air transport of goods or people, like any other transport service,
is carried out according to certain accepted rules and requires the preparation
of appropriate documentation. In the case of air transport, these rules are
established, among others, on the basis of the Transport Law of November 15,
1984, and the Regulation of the Minister of Transport of June 21, 1985 [24].
However, the most important legal act in force in air transport is the Act of
03.07.2002 - Aviation Law. This act covers all key issues concerning Polish
civil aviation and even, to some extent, foreign civil aviation [8].
The
provisions of international law resulting, inter alia, from the Warsaw
Convention, which was supplemented in The Hague Protocol, as well as from the
Chicago Convention, are also of great importance. The Chicago Convention
contains the Dangerous Goods Regulations, i.e., a set of regulations regulating
the manner of transporting dangerous goods by air, applicable in all IATA
member countries [8].
The
basis of each flight is the contract that the carrier concludes with the
customer. In the case of the transport of goods, such a contract is a bill of
lading. The group of transport documents in the international air transport of
goods consists of such forms as:
- air way bill (AWB),
- cargo manifest,
- cargo transfer
manifesto,
- loading sheet.
Air
way bills are standard and necessary documents completed in connection with the
carrier's commitment to deliver specific goods to the place specified by the
principal. In order to facilitate the procedures related to the entire
transport process, forwarders use two types of letters: Master Air Way Bill
(MAWB), and House Air Way Bill (HAWB). The first one allows sending a
consolidated shipment, determines its value, and is listed as the sender. On the
other hand, the forwarder's House Air Way Bill is prepared for the MAWB letter
and contains detailed information about individual goods integrated into a
collective shipment [21].
Commonly
used documents are also cargo manifests, which present the number of
consignments planned directly for a given flight in international traffic,
together with numbers and all information enabling their identification. On the
other hand, the security issues introduced the so-called load sheets for
"on-deck" load distribution to control proper airplane trim.
According to IATA recommendations, carriers often use additional documents,
such as lists of shipments, boardings, documents related to special transport,
or even NOTOC notes informing the captain of the aircraft about loaded goods
[21].
Most
of the documentation is issued and saved in electronic form, using the
E-freight platform. In 2010, this system already covered 2/3 of all possible
documentation, including the e-AWB air waybill. Handling cargo transport via
the Internet mainly means lower costs and significant time savings. Thanks to
one-time data entry, E-freight increases the accuracy and reliability of
operations and speeds up service [22].
In
the transport of goods by air, as in other modes of transport, the so-called
Incoterms are used. Developed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), a
set of established international rules shows the rights and obligations of all
parties to a sales contract. The provisions concern, among others, packaging,
transport, insurance, customs documentation, fees, and risk transfer. Incoterms
2010 consists of 13 trade formulas, marked with a three-letter abbreviation,
divided into four groups (E, F, C and D) and two categories:
- for all means and
modes of transport,
- for sea and inland
waterway transport.
These
formulas significantly affect the relations between shippers and carriers,
although they do not directly regulate them [7].
5. ANALYSIS OF THE CARGO TRANSPORT VOLUME IN POLISH
AIRPORTS
On the Fig. 1 the volume of cargo on board handled at Polish airports in
domestic and international traffic in 2010-2021 have been presented. On the
basis of the presented data, it can be concluded that in the subsequent years
of the analysis, the size of the cargo on board systematically increases with
two exceptions. The first covers the period 2013-2015, while the second covers
the period of the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, i.e. 2020 year. The
negative impact of the pandemic on the air transport sector has already been
confirmed in many scientific works [2-5], [11].
Fig. 1. The
volume of handled cargo on board (in kg) at Polish airports in
domestic and international traffic in 2010-2021
Source: own
research based on data presented by the Civil Aviation Authority in Poland [40]
On
the other hand, Fig. 2 shows the share of handled cargo on board in Polish
airports in domestic and international traffic for the last four years. Based
on the presented data, it can be concluded that in each of the analyzed years,
International Airport Warszawa-Okęcie has the largest share in the
handling of cargo transport in Poland. This share, depending on the year of
analysis, ranges from 73% to 81%. Then, in terms of the volume of cargo
handled, International Airport Katowice-Pyrzowice ranks. In this case, the
share, depending on the year of analysis, ranges from 14% to 18%. The share of
cargo transport in other Polish airports is small and varies from 5% to 9%
depending on the year. Both International Airports Warszawa-Okęcie and MPL
Katowice-Pyrzowice handle in total from 91% to 95% of cargo on board in Poland.
2018
2019
2020
2021
Fig. 2. Share of handled cargo on board (in
kg) at Polish airports in
domestic and international traffic in 2018-2021
Source: own
research based on data presented by the Civil Aviation Authority in Poland [40]
The
dynamics of changes in handled cargo on board at Polish airports in domestic
and international traffic in 2012-2021 were also analyzed. The volume of
handled cargo on board is the basic characteristic of cargo transport at each
airport. It is subject to constant changes, which reflect the socio-economic
situation of a given area. Knowledge of the pace of changes in the volume of
handled cargo on board allows for better adjustment of the activities carried
out at a given airport. They may concern, among others, investments in
infrastructure, modernization of resources, human resources, administration of
the flow of goods, applied technologies, but also many other matters related to
the functioning of a given airport. Based on the data presented in Fig. 3, it
can be concluded that, except for 2020/2019, when a negative indicator was
recorded, in the remaining years of the analysis, the indicator characterizing
the dynamics is positive, which indicates an increase in handled cargo on board
at Polish airports in domestic and international traffic in 2012-2021.
Fig. 3. Dynamics of changes in handled cargo
on board (in kg) at Polish airports in
domestic and international traffic in 2012-2021
Source: own
research based on data presented by the Civil Aviation Authority in Poland [40]
6. SUMMARY AND
CONCLUSIONS
The
article presents the problem of the cargo transport with the example of a
selected mode of transport in Poland. The volume of goods transported by air
transport in 2010-2021 was analysed. Cargo in air transport is very popular,
which can be seen from the statistics of the weight of the handled cargo over
the years. From year to year, there is a regular increase in the volume of
transported cargo. The coronavirus pandemic, and the related economic crisis
did not significantly affect cargo transport, as was the case with passenger
transport, the number of which decreased significantly during the pandemic.
According to the statistics of the IATA organization [41], in 2021, the demand
for cargo exceeded the volume from 2019 (i.e., before the Covid-19 pandemic) by
8%. The World Trade Organization forecasts an increase in global trade of 5.6%
in the coming years. In addition, IATA estimates that the total losses of air
carriers from 2020-2022 may exceed $200 billion. The scale of the phenomenon is
therefore huge, and its effects will probably be felt for a long time and will
affect many aspects.
For
the purposes of work related to planning the future of the air transport cargo
industry, the IATA organization has created a special program operating under
the name Future Air Cargo Executives (FACE). This program brings together
approximately 60 members of the air supply chain, led by outstanding leaders in
this field. Future Air Cargo Executives presented a vision of development until
2030, in which aspects of emerging new technologies and trends were discussed
along with their impact on existing processes and workforce. FACES Vision 2030
predicts the most significant changes in the area of technology, which, in
addition to its own transformation, will also serve as the main factor
initiating other changes. Among the breakthrough technological discoveries that
will contribute to the development of cargo transport in aviation, FACE
indicates such tools as [12]:
- augmented reality
(AR),
- artificial
intelligence (AI),
- robots and robotic
systems,
- molecular monitoring
(Screening Devices),
- Internet of Things
(IoT),
- drones and airships.
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Received 10.10.2023; accepted in
revised form 28.12.2023
Scientific Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series
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[1] Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering, The