The Australian Financial Review reports that importers are so frustrated with shipping delays that they are putting consumer products and machinery on the few planes still flying into Australia, pushing up air freight costs.

According to Global Forwarding Director Enrica Centorame, who spoke to the AFR’s Infrastructure Reporter Jenny Wiggins, importers are now paying $10-$15 per kilogram for air freight, up from historic rates of $2.50 per kilogram, so they can get goods into Australia from Asia in just over a week instead of waiting six to eight weeks for them to arrive by sea. Ms Centorame’s freight forwarding and logistics business has seen a huge uptick in demand for air cargo.