In mainland China, the number of freighter arrivals has increased in recent weeks as factories resumed production. China’s aviation regulator said the number of freighter flights was expected to reach 870 this week, up from 788 in the week starting February 17.

About half of the air cargo carried worldwide normally flies in the belly of passenger jets rather than in dedicated freighters. But deep flight cuts in response to the coronavirus outbreak have made the market more dependent on freight haulers.

Freight Investor Services said in an update to clients on Monday that cargo pricing on China-to-US routes had reached “abnormal highs” and that intra-Asia traffic was up by 22 per cent over the previous week. TAC Index data shows China-US cargo rates have risen by 27 per cent over the last two weeks to more than US$3.50 a kilogram.

DHL’s express volumes have started to recover in China and the company is putting planes back into the network, Deutsche Post finance chief Melanie Kreis said on Tuesday, noting that its fleet is a major asset given the grounding of many passenger planes.