Strong freight demand continues as numbers carry on rising compared to pre-pandemic levels
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its July 2021 figures for global cargo markets which show that demand is continuing to grow.
Overall international demand was up by 8.6% compared to 2019, however this slowed slightly in contrast to June which saw a rise of 9.2%.
Capacity is also continuing to recover, although numbers are still down by 10.2% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
“July was another solid month for global air cargo demand. Economic conditions indicate that the strong growth trend will continue into the peak year-end demand period,” said Willie Walsh, IATA director general. “The Delta variant of COVID-19 could bring some risks. If supply chains and production lines are disrupted, there is potential for a knock-on effect for air cargo shipments.”
Asia-Pacific airlines experienced an air cargo increase of 4.4% in July, which is an improvement compared to the previous month. Demand is currently being affected by an easing of momentum in key activity indicators in the region, alongside congested supply chains.
Comparatively, North American carriers reported a 20.5% rise compared to 2019 – the strongest growth recorded out of all regions.
Additionally, European airlines also experienced a 6% increase in demand, with the Middle East seeing an 11.3% rise.
Latin American carriers, however, were hit with a 10.2% decline in international cargo volumes compared to the same period in 2019. This is an improvement from its 21.5% dip in June and despite the low numbers, IATA has reported that its trade routes travelling in and out of the region are performing well.
