The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported international scheduled traffic results for November 2009, with freight demand up 9.5 per cent compared to November 2008 and freight load factor at 56.6 per cent, although the improved results were exaggerated by the sharp fall in demand experienced during the second half of 2008.
Freight demand is 20 per cent better than the low point in December 2008, but still 10 per cent below the peak levels seen in early 2008.
Compared to October (and adjusting for seasonality), freight demand actually only grew by 4.7 per cent, largely on the strength of markets connected to Asia Pacific.
“Demand continues to improve, but we still have a lot of ground to recover. We cannot anticipate any significant improvement in yields in the coming months. Conserving cash, controlling costs and carefully matching capacity to demand remain the keys to survival,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s director general and chief executive.
The 14.5 per cent growth in freight demand for Asia-Pacific’s carriers was linked to the success of stimulus packages in driving industrial output and broader economic recovery within the region, although carriers in other regions also saw strong growth in freight as follows: Africa (+8.1 per cent), Latin America (+17.5 per cent), Middle East (+21.4 per cent) and North America (+13.6 per cent).
European carriers were the only group to post a drop in traffic, recording a 5.6 per cent fall in demand. This reflects the lingering economic malaise in the region.
Aircargo Asia Pacific
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