IATA’s October air freight data for October presents a mixed picture, as strong route development by Middle East carriers and demand for Apple’s iPhone 6 out of Asia were countered by economic concerns in Europe and Africa.
Overall global volumes were up 5.4% in October compared to a year ago, an improvement on September when volumes rose 4.8%.
Freight tonne km (FTKs) also expanded compared to September, continuing the recent positive news after a sluggish start to 2014.
Latin American and European volumes saw a recovery after dipping below the line in September, with North America registering a slowdown but still ahead of the current yearly trend.
Asia Pacific carriers continued with strong growth (6.7% year on year) boosted in part by strong demand for the ‘must have’ iPhone 6 and despite a slowdown in both performance and forecast growth for the all-important Chinese economy.
Africa saw a 9.6% improvement in FTKs year on year as economic indicators for some of the regions key markets start to show stability.
The star performer though was the Middle East, with a 13.0% boost to FTKs in October year-on-year as carriers grab opportunities for growth by introducing services to regions of strong and developing trade activity, including Africa and Central America, and by increasing provision of specialist services and developing links between markets such as Asia Pacific and Africa.
