Worldwide air cargo demand rose by 3.2 percent, year-over-year, in April, but that result came in 1.1-percent lower than March’s result, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Even as activity grew, total capacity ticked up by 3.3 percent in April, with a 3.6-percent rise in international air cargo capacity and a 2.2-percent increase among domestic carriers.
IATA officials attribute this slowdown to waning business confidence in China, where growth has been moving forward at a weak pace for some time. They do, however, see sluggish worldwide growth as temporary, especially in key markets where momentum still exists.
“Trading conditions for air freight are difficult. Overall, business activity and trade have shifted down a gear after a strong end to 2013," IATA Director General Tony Tyler said in a statement. "And this is taking its toll on growth in the air cargo sector. Developed economies are still maintaining post-recession momentum and the expectation is for a stronger finish to the year."
In North America, carriers saw April growth climb by 2.6 percent, year-over-year, with officials expecting a further boost in the coming months. A 0.8-percent downshift in capacity helped tighten up the results. The biggest growth for April came in the Middle Eastern region, where carriers experienced an 8.7-percent increase in demand on an 8.1-percent increase in capacity. Latin American and European airlines saw demand fall off in April, with demand drops of 6.5 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.
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