Global air freight demand grows 8 pct in January
KUALA LUMPUR: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said demand for global air freight, measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTKs), rose by eight per cent in January 2018 compared with the same period last year.
Freight capacity, measured in available FTKs, also increased by 4.2 per cent year-on-year in January 2018,
IATA said the increase in demand was broad-based across all regions, where Africa and Europe showed the strongest growth with January demand up by 12.9 per cent and 10.5 per cent, respectively, compared with the corresponding period last year.
“Asia-Pacific airlines demand for freight volumes grew 7.7 per cent while capacity increased by 2.2 per cent in January compared with the same period in 2017.
“The increase largely reflects the ongoing strong demand experienced by China and Japan, the region’s major exporters, which has been driven in part by a pick-up in economic activity in Europe,” it said.
IATA director-general and chief executive officer Alexandre de Juniac said the continued positive momentum in freight growth into 2018 reflected the fact that demand drivers for air cargo remained supportive.
“Global demand for manufacturing exports is buoyant and meeting this strong demand is leading to longer supply-chain delivery times.
“Demand for air cargo may strengthen as a result, with companies seeking faster delivery times to make up for longer production times,” he said.
Juniac said IATA expected demand for air cargo to taper to a more normal 4.5 per cent growth for 2018.
He warned of potential head winds if US President Donald Trump were to follow through on his promise to impose tariffs on aluminium and steel imports.
“There is a very real risk of a trade war,” he added. — Bernama