Renewed hardening in rates as market heads into busiest weeks of traditional peak season

Global air freight rates rose sharply again last week according to the latest data from TAC Index, the leading price reporting agency on air freight markets and calculating agent for the Baltic Air Freight indices. The global Baltic Air Freight Index (BAI00) jumped by +6.6 percent over the seven days to November 9, taking its gain to +28.2 percent year-on-year.

After a slight fall the previous week, the latest numbers confirm a renewed hardening in rates as the market heads into the busiest weeks of traditional peak season: ahead of Black Friday and Thanksgiving in the US and Christmas in Europe.

Rates now stand at their highest levels of 2026 and well above the previous two peak season highs. Recent falls in crude oil and jet fuel prices following last week’s US midterm elections have yet to translate into any apparent easing.

Rates were mostly up WoW on the biggest lanes out of China, though slightly down from recent highs on the busiest lanes to the US. But BAI Spot prices, reflecting more purely marginal prices, were up on all major lanes out of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Korea.

This story was originally published by Air Cargo Week. Read the full story at Air Cargo Week →