The Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation (IATA)’s world air cargo markets report for September 2024 confirmed persevering with robust annual development in demand.
IATA director-general Willie Walsh remarked: “September efficiency introduced continued excellent news for air cargo markets. With 9.4 p.c year-on-year development, cargo volumes continued to mark all-time highs for demand.”
Walsh added that yields are enhancing, as there are up by 11.7 p.c from 2023 and are actually 50 p.c above 2019 ranges.
All this factors to a powerful end for this yr. For longer-term traits, the air cargo sector is at present maintaining a tally of the end result of the US election for indications of how US commerce coverage will evolve.
September in a nutshell
Whole demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs), rose by 9.4 p.c in comparison with September 2023 ranges (10.5 p.c for worldwide operations) for a 14th consecutive month of development.
Capability, measured in accessible cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTKs), elevated by 6.4 p.c in comparison with September 2023 (8.1 p.c for worldwide operations).
This continued to be largely associated to the expansion in worldwide stomach capability, which rose by 10.3 p.c, extending the development of double-digit annual capability development to 41 consecutive months.
Month-to-month efficiency by area
Asia-Pacific airways noticed 11.7 p.c year-on-year demand development for air cargo in September. Capability elevated by 8.5 p.c year-on-year.
North American carriers noticed 3.8 p.c year-on-year demand development for air cargo in September. Capability elevated by 4.2 p.c year-on-year.
European carriers noticed 11.7 p.c year-on-year demand development for air cargo in September. Capability elevated 7.5 p.c year-on-year.
Center Japanese carriers noticed 10.1 p.c year-on-year demand development for air cargo in September. Capability elevated 2.9 p.c year-on-year.
Latin American carriers noticed 20.9 p.c year-on-year demand development for air cargo in September, the strongest development among the many areas. Capability elevated 7.9 p.c year-on-year.
African airways noticed 1.7 p.c year-on-year demand development for air cargo in September, the slowest amongst areas. September capability elevated by 13.9 p.c year-on-year.
IATA additionally identified that worldwide routes skilled distinctive visitors ranges for a fifth month, with a ten.5% year-on-year enhance in September. Airways are benefiting from rising e-commerce demand within the US and Europe amid ongoing capability limits in ocean transport.
Factors for consideration
The report’s authors identified that September development could also be attributed to a number of elements noticed throughout the month.
Yr-on-year, industrial manufacturing rose 1.6 p.c whereas world items commerce elevated 2.8 p.c for a sixth consecutive month of development. Month-to-month commerce grew by 1.4 p.c, the best in seven months.
The Buying Managers Index (PMIs) for world manufacturing output, and the PMI for brand new export orders, have been each under the 50-mark at 49.4 and 47.5 respectively, indicating contraction.
Additionally, US headline inflation, based mostly on the annual Shopper Worth Index (CPI), declined by 0.2 share factors to 2.4 p.c in September, marking the seventh straight month of easing inflation.
In the identical month, the inflation price within the EU fell by 0.3 share factors to 2.1 p.c, persevering with a course of began in January 2023.
China’s shopper inflation remained low at 0.4 p.c in September amid considerations of an financial slowdown.