Global Air Freight Returns To Growth In August

Global demand for air freight returned to slight growth in August but the challenges that led to declines in June and July still pose a risk for the coming months.

Air freight volumes edged up 0.2 percent compared with the previous year, against a 0.6 percent decline in July, IATA said in its monthly air freight report.

IATA said rising volumes in the Middle East, Africa and Europe helped offset a slide in the Americas and Asia-Pacific.

"Some of the key reasons for the earlier weakness - for example, downgraded growth expectations in emerging Asia, and the rebalancing of the Chinese economy toward domestic consumption - are still there," IATA Director General Tony Tyler said in a statement.

"Even though world trade volumes have slightly picked up, the industry will have to work hard to match the strong finish to 2014," he said.