September freight dips again
30 / 10 / 2011
AIRFREIGHT volumes for the month of September contracted 2.7 per cent compared to September 2010.
This is a 0.3 per cent decline from August. By September, freight volumes were five per cent below those carried at the end of the first quarter, IATA said. This represents a fall in trade and economic conditions. Inventory to expected sales ratios have risen and shipments by air are being cut.
Asia-Pacific carriers are the largest players in air cargo and have been the hardest hit with a 6.3 per cent reduction in demand compared to September 2010. This is despite robust economic growth in many countries in the region. The disruptions to supply chains as a result of the Japanese tsunami and earthquake continue to dampen airfreight in the region.
European carriers also recorded a slump in demand of 2.4 per cent while North American carriers reported that September freight traffic was flat compared to the previous year.
