Bright start to year says IATA

JANUARY produced a strong rise in global airfreight growth compared to the dep-ressed state of affairs of a year before, IATA statistics reveal.
Global freight-tonne-kilometers (FTKs) increased by an encouraging 4.5 per cent in the month compared to January 2013.
“This is a significant acceleration on the 2.2 per cent year-on-year growth rate recorded in December, and is well above the 1.4 per cent full-year growth reported for 2013 as compa-red to 2012,” says an IATA statement.
Growth was solid across all regions, with Middle Eastern carriers growing the fastest  at 10.7 per cent.
European airlines continued to benefit from Europe’s recovery from recession, posting an average of six per cent growth.
Carriers based in the Asia-Pacific region – which account for nearly 40 per cent of the global airfreight market – reported a 3.8 per cent increase, a major improvement over the one per cent contraction in 2013.
“The improvement in demand is good news. It’s a step-up in pace from the mild strengthening that we saw towards the second half of 2013. And in real terms, volumes are similar to the 2010 post-recession peak,” notes IATA chief executive Tony Tyler.
But there is also reason to be cautious. “Protectionist measures are part of the reason for a slower expansion of world trade than we would expect from current levels of industrial production. Companies continue to re-organise supply chains in their efforts to move more manufacturing on-shore,” stresses Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general.