Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTK), decreased by 0.4 per cent YoY in the month; the drop was 0.9 per cent for international operations.
“But this positive news masks a more complex operating environment. Severe disruption at major Gulf hubs due to the war in the Middle East continued to reshape trade routes and constrain capacity on key corridors,” said IATA director general Willie Walsh in a release.
Total global air cargo demand rose by 4 per cent YoY in April, driven by strong Asia-linked trade flows, IATA said.
Capacity fell by 0.4 per cent YoY in the month.
Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 10.5-per cent YoY growth in air cargo demand in April—the strongest regional rise.
Africa-Asia led growth in air cargo performance, followed by Asia-Europe, with intra-Asia also holding strong on regional trade.
“With dedicated freighters carrying much of the growth, air cargo is once again keeping supply chains moving amid trade disruptions. The coming months will test how well the sector can absorb continued geopolitical uncertainty and elevated operating costs,” he noted.
Global trade contracted in March by 2.1 per cent month on month after four consecutive months of growth, highlighting the continued vulnerability of trade momentum to geopolitical shocks.
Jet fuel prices rose sharply in April—up by 121.1 per cent YoY—alongside a 77.7-per cent increase in crude oil prices.
Global manufacturing sentiment remained in growth territory in April, strengthening from March. The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose 1.9 points to 53.4, while the PMI for new export orders reached 50.2. With both indicators above the 50-point expansion threshold, conditions remain supportive for air cargo demand, IATA noted.
Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 10.5-per cent YoY growth in air cargo demand in April—the strongest rise of all regions. Capacity increased by 5.3 per cent YoY.
North American carriers saw a 5-per cent YoY increase in air cargo demand in April. Capacity increased by 1.2 per cent YoY.
European carriers saw a 6-per cent YoY increase., while capacity increased by 3 per cent YoY.
Middle Eastern carriers saw a 18.2-per cent YoY decrease in demand in the month—the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity decreased by 22.9 per cent YoY.
Latin American and Caribbean carriers saw a 2.8-per cent YoY drop in demand., whereas capacity increased by 1.2 per cent YoY.
African airlines saw a 7.7-per cent YoY increase in demand for air cargo in April. Capacity decreased by -9.4 per cent YoY.
Air cargo performance diverged across major trade lanes in April. Africa-Asia led growth, followed by Asia-Europe, with intra-Asia also holding strong on regional trade. In contrast, Gulf-linked corridors were severely disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
