Iata upbeat about air cargo
The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has released full-year air cargo data for 2014 showing that demand, measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTKs), was 4.5% higher than in 2013. The air cargo market expansion gathered momentum as 2014 progressed. The year finished on a positive note, with growth in December accelerating to 4.9%, compared to December 2013. Most of the growth in 2014, however, was in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, which respectively contributed 46% and 29% of the expansion in FTKs. Growth was recorded in all other regions, but was particularly weak in Latin America.
"After several years of stagnation, the air cargo business is expanding again. This is largely being driven by the uptick in world trade in H2/2014. Recent concerns over the health of the global economy and a corresponding fall in business confidence have not yet impacted air cargo. But it is a risk that needs to be watched carefully as we move through 2015," said Tony Tyler, Iata’s director general and CEO.