KEY POINTS
  • Air cargo prices have surged in the pandemic as capacity plunged.
  • International travel has dropped sharply, taking belly-cargo space out of the market.
  • Some passenger carriers have started flying cargo-only flights in an effort to boost sales.
American Airlines fleet services employees prepare to load cargo pallets on a 777-300 at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) bound for Frankfurt Airport in Germany during the cornoavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on March 20, 2020 in Dallas, Texas.

The coronavirus pandemic has created a global crunch in air cargo markets and retailers like Alex Motamedi in Harbor City, California are feeling the pain.

"We've been so desperate that we take anything and first available," said Motamedi, general manager of La Espanola Meats, which sells imported Spanish ham, cheese, sweets and other products.