Apple is putting a squeeze on the air freight industry with a massive order of iPad 3 shipments, according to multiple reports today. As Wednesday’s announcement draws near, Apple has singlehandedly bought the majority of air cargo space coming out of China at premium rates. Other companies are reportedly scrambling to buy what little space Apple hasn’t already claimed.
Photos of what were allegedly iPad 3 units getting unloaded from planes surfaced about a week ago, as Apple has been shipping units into the United States for weeks. MacRumors says that at least one part number has been spotted in the cargo hubs where the tablets remain under lock and key. A mysterious second part number, MC744LL/A, has also been identified, indicating the increased possibility of a new Apple TV.
One shipping representative told MacRumors last week that his freight broker in China has been scrambling to find space for his company’s shipments, with shipping rates rising 20% in one week as Apple has snapped up available capacity at premium rates. Another shipping manager told us a similar story today, with his company being unable to find space with its usual carrier due to Apple’s demand and having to scramble to find alternatives for moving products overseas.
Coincidentally, AppleInsider is also reporting similar news. DHL, a large air freight company, has reportedly seen a “big change” in shipping costs, as Apple has bought up the space on flights from China (the location of Foxconn, Apple’s largest supply chain partner) to America.
With its $100 billion in cash, Apple certainly has the clout to put a strain on the entire shipping industry with a new product release. What’s more telling about this news is that the iPad 3 will likely be available for purchase sooner than we all thought. Speculation said we’d see availability by March 30th, but large shipments could mean almost immediate availability. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
4 responses to “Massive Apple Air Freight Deal Could Mean iPad 3 Will Ship Even Sooner Than We Thought”
Apple needs to buy their own fleet of planes to ship worldwide.
I’ll be picking mine new iPad 3 64GB
Damn piece-of-crap Disqus… I meant to say I’ll be picking up my new iPad this Friday at 5pm, along with everyone else.
 Why do I need this crap called iPeido? All the time there are this stupidity of news around stupid company and tons of propaganda around Apple. This is ridiculous. Even at the point of all these nonsense rumors. Wait until it comes out and then make your fanboyism with your articles and all the nonsense. Check if the iPeido has penis or not and so on. This is like religious fanaticism the one similar to the islam radicals