The Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation (IATA)’s international air cargo markets report for September 2024 confirmed persevering with robust annual progress 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 progress, cargo volumes continued to mark all-time highs for demand.”
Walsh added that yields are bettering, 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 12 months. For longer-term developments, the air cargo sector is at the moment keeping track of the end result of the US election for indications of how US commerce coverage will evolve.
September in a nutshell
Complete 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 progress.
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 progress to 41 consecutive months.
Month-to-month efficiency by area
Asia-Pacific airways noticed 11.7 p.c year-on-year demand progress 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 progress 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 progress for air cargo in September. Capability elevated 7.5 p.c year-on-year.
Center Jap carriers noticed 10.1 p.c year-on-year demand progress 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 progress for air cargo in September, the strongest progress among the many areas. Capability elevated 7.9 p.c year-on-year.
African airways noticed 1.7 p.c year-on-year demand progress 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 improve in September. Airways are benefiting from rising e-commerce demand within the US and Europe amid ongoing capability limits in ocean delivery.
Factors for consideration
The report’s authors identified that September progress could also be attributed to a number of elements noticed through the month.
12 months-on-year, industrial manufacturing rose 1.6 p.c whereas international items commerce elevated 2.8 p.c for a sixth consecutive month of progress. Month-to-month commerce grew by 1.4 p.c, the best in seven months.
The Buying Managers Index (PMIs) for international manufacturing output, and the PMI for brand new export orders, have been each beneath the 50-mark at 49.4 and 47.5 respectively, indicating contraction.
Additionally, US headline inflation, based mostly on the annual Client Worth Index (CPI), declined by 0.2 proportion factors to 2.4 p.c in September, marking the seventh straight month of easing inflation.
In the identical month, the inflation fee within the EU fell by 0.3 proportion factors to 2.1 p.c, persevering with a course of began in January 2023.
China’s client inflation remained low at 0.4 p.c in September amid issues of an financial slowdown.