Global airfreight volumes continued with robust growth in August, according to the International Air Transport Association. Measured by freight tonne kilometers (FTKs), volumes rose 5.1 percent compared to August 2013. Capacity grew at a slower pace of 3.4 percent from the previous year. This is the second strong month for cargo volumes in a row, following the 6.1 percent year-on-year rise recorded in July.
After two years of either flat or slightly negative traffic growth, demand for air cargo transport began to grow slowly and steadily during the second quarter of 2013. The uptick in traffic continued into the second half of 2013 to end the year 0.9 percent above the 2012 traffic total. Growth has continued to gather strength in 2014, nearly recovering the long-term trend rate. World air cargo traffic is forecast to grow an average 4.7 percent per year over the next 20 years to reach a total of more than twice the number of revenue tonne-kilometers (RTK) logged in 2013. The number of airplanes in the freighter fleet will increase by more than half by the end of the forecast period.
Global airfreight markets showed continued robust growth in air cargo volumes in August, according to the latest data from The International Air Transport Association (IATA).
AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), Russia's largest international cargo airline and a part of Volga-Dnepr Group, is increasing its Boeing 747 freighter flights linking Tokyo and Seoul with Moscow.
CMA CGM S.A. is joining with China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL), Orient Overseas Container Lines (OOCL) and Pacific International Lines (PIL) in a new service between Northeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Uncertainty in the global market continues as the latest Stifel Logistics Confidence Index indicates a dip of 0.4 points in the overall measurement to 55.7. While the present situation remained positive, gaining 1.2 points from July to 53.5, the expected situation for the next six months stumbled 2.0 points to 57.9. This decline was particularly noticeable within airfreight expectations, which declined 3.3 points to 54.7. The sea freight expectation component declined 0.7 points to 61.0.
Declining in value by 3.3 percent from 2012, the freight forwarding market is facing major challenges as it fights to stay viable in a changing global environment. This is one of the main conclusions of the latest report from Transport Intelligence, Global Freight Forwarding 2014.
World scheduled airfreight traffic, measured in freight tonne kilometers, is expected to grow by 3.7 percent in 2014, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization.