Middle Eastern carriers saw the strongest growth in air freight with demand expanding 15.3 per cent in June, according to the latest data released by the Internaitonal Air Transport Association (Iata).

 

The airlines in the region, whose capacity rose 19.2 per cent, have pursued a successful hub strategy connecting both long and short-haul markets, it said.

 

Although some major economies in the region have seen slowdowns in non-oil sectors, economic growth has remained generally robust, which is also helping to sustain demand for air freight, said the report.

 

The growth for the year-to-date is running at 14 per cent, it said.

 

Meanwhile, the global air freight volumes measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTK) rose just 1.2 per cent compared to a year ago. 

 

This was consistent with falling trade activity and weaker than expected global growth, said the report.

 

The general trend of a weaker 2015 compared to last year can be seen in the half-year data, which pointed out that air freight markets expanded 5.8 per cent last year, while the year-to-date growth stands at 3.5 per cent this year.

 

Tony Tyler, director general and chief executive officer, Iata, said: “The half-year report for air cargo is not encouraging. With growth of just 1.2 per cent over June last year, markets are basically stagnating. Some carriers are doing better than others at picking up the business that is out there. But overall it has been a disappointing first half of 2015, especially considering the strong finish to 2014. 

 

""The remainder of the year holds mixed signals. The general expectation is for an acceleration of economic growth, but business confidence and export orders look weak. Air cargo and the global economy will all benefit if governments can successfully focus on stabilizing growth and stimulating trade by removing barriers.” - TradeArabia News Service