New data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows increasing demand for global air freight.
The demand, measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTKs) grew by 3.8% in 2016 compared to 2015.
This is nearly double the industry’s average growth rate of 2% over the last five years.
All regions, with the exception of Latin America, experienced positive freight growth in 2016.
Locally, Asia-Pacific carriers saw demand in freight volumes grow 9.8% in December 2016 compared to the same period in 2015 and capacity grew by 5.7%.
Carriers in Europe accounted for almost half of the total annual increase in demand.
“In terms of demand, 2016 was a good year for air cargo. That was boosted by solid year-end performance. Looking ahead, strong export orders are good news,” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and chief executive says.
“But there are headwinds. The most significant is stagnant world trade which also faces the risk of protectionist measures. Governments must not forget that trade is a powerful tool for growth and prosperity.”
The air cargo industry must also improve its competitiveness, he says.
