Winds of Hope – at Last

The November 2016 air cargo figures showed a rise, leading IATA to comment that the trend was encouraging and would continue in 2017.

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently released data for global air freight markets showing that demand, measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTKs), rose 6.8 per cent in November 2016 compared to the year-earlier period. This was a slight slowdown from the 8.4 per cent annual growth recorded in October 2016 — which was a 20-month high — but was still more than 2.5 times the average annual monthly growth rate of 2.6 per cent over the past decade. Growth in freight capacity, measured in available freight tonne kilometers (AFTKs), slowed to 4.4 per cent in November 2016.

The uptick in freight growth coincided with an increase in the shipment of silicon materials typically used in high-value consumer electronics shipped by air, and an apparent turnaround in new export orders. A modal shift to air cargo following the collapse of the Hanjin Shipping Company in August may have also contributed.

“Air cargo enjoyed a strong peak season in November. And there are encouraging signs that this growth will continue into 2017, particularly with the shipment of high-value consumer electronics and their component parts. 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 by implementing modern customer-centric processes,” said Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO, IATA.