Air Freight Demand Up 6.8 Pct In November - IATA

Global demand for air freight rose 6.8 percent in November, lifted by strong growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

IATA said the increase in the shipment of silicon materials used in consumer electronics boosted global freight.

Capacity in available freight tonne km increased by 4.4 percent over the same period in 2015.

“Air cargo enjoyed a strong peak season in November. And there are encouraging signs that this growth will continue into 2017,” IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said.

“But, the trend in world trade is still stagnant. So it remains critically important for the air cargo industry to continue to improve its value offering,” he added.

Africa showed the biggest gain in November with a 10.9 percent increase in freight carried (in freight tonne km terms) on a capacity increase of almost 27 percent. Although posting the strongest growth, Africa makes up only 1.6 percent of world air freight according to IATA data.

Europe was second on 9 percent growth and a more modest 4.8 percent lift in capacity. The Middle East came in third with a 7.8 percent increase in freight carried.

Freight load factor rose 1.1 percentage points for the month to 47.2 percent.