"Yields are high enough that flying a longer route via Southeast Asia, South Asia or the Middle East is an option, but it will still pull capacity out of the market." Demand for air cargo in 2021 was 6.9% above 2019's pre-pandemic levels, according to IATA, as e-commerce surged during the pandemic and shipping container shortages and port bottlenecks led to more products being flown by air. In December, air cargo rates were 150% above 2019 levels, IATA said. Asia-North America cargo routes are expected to be less affected than European routes, analysts say, because many carriers already use Anchorage, Alaska as a cargo hub and stopover point. Japanese carmakers Toyota and Nissan said on Tuesday they were keeping an eye on any disruption to supply chains as a result of what Russia calls its "special operation" in Ukraine. US-based United Parcel Service and FedEx, two of the world's largest logistics companies, have halted deliveries to Russia. Reuters