A publication of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows data for April 2021, where that world air cargo markets are showing a higher demand than periods before the Covid-19 era; in this data, they observed that the use of this means of transport for goods increased by 12%.
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Market aspects compared to 2019
Global demand, measured in ton-kilometers of cargo, increased by 12% compared to April 2019 and by 7.8% compared to March 2021. ‘Seasonally’ adjusted demand is currently 5% higher than the peak ‘before’ the crisis in August 2018; the best-performing companies were primarily North American airlines, which contributed 7.5 percentage points to the 12% growth rate in April. Airlines from all regions except Latin America are also supporting growth.
Because of the continuous «grounding» of passenger aircraft, capacity remains 9.7% lower than the pre-Covid-19 level. Airlines continue to use “dedicated freighters” to fill the gap in available cargo capacity. Compared to the same month in 2019, the international capacity of dedicated freighters increased by 26.2% in April 2021, while the capacity of the lower freighters decreased by 38.5%.
According to Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, air cargo continues to be good news for the air transport industry. Demand is 12% higher than pre-crisis levels, and returns are positive. Some regions are outperforming global trends, especially carriers in North America, the Middle East, and Africa; however, the outstanding performance of air cargo is not universal; for example, the recovery of air transport in Latin America has not yet manifested itself.
Region statistics
Asia-Pacific Airlines
Compared with the same month of 2019, the international air cargo demand of Asia-Pacific airlines in April 2021 increased by 9.2%, compared to last month the performance has improved significantly. The region’s international capacity remains limited, 18.7% less than in April 2019. As in March, the region’s airlines registered the highest international load factor, with 77.5%.
North American Airlines
Compared to April 2019, international demand from North American airlines increased by 25.6% in 2021, this strong performance reflecting the “appetite” of US consumers for products made in Asia. North American airlines can also increase their market share, especially on routes between North America and South America, because they have a large fleet of freighters.
European Airlines
Compared to April 2019, the demand from European operators increased by 11.4% in 2021, compared to last month is a significant improvement. Better business conditions and the recovery in export orders contributed to the positive performance. Compared to April 2019, international capacity in 2021 has fallen by 17.5%.
Middle East Airlines
Middle East air operators reported that compared to April 2019, international cargo volume in 2021 increased by 15.3%, compared to last month this is a significant improvement. The trading volume maintains a constant upward trend. Compared to the same month in 2019, international capacity in April fell by 17.5%.
Airlines in Africa
Africa’s air cargo demand in April increased by 30.6%, compared to the same month in 2019, this was the highest value among all regions (for the fourth consecutive month it increased by more than 25% compared to 2019). The strong expansion of the Asia-Africa trade routes contributed to this growth.
What do you think of this topic? What other aspects do you think should be taken into account to evaluate the recovery in the cargo sector?
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