Air freight markets post stronger April as demand counters China slowdown
Cargo Archive Stories #231
Thursday, 26 June 2014
AIR freight markets continued to post gains in April thanks to improvements in world trade and recovery in global demand, according to Airports Council International (ACI).
Except for Africa, all regions experienced growth in year-over-year air freight volumes. The two largest global air freight markets, North America and Asia-Pacific, continued to lead the air freight recovery with growth levels of more than five per cent. The key freight hubs of Shanghai, Memphis and Hong Kong experienced strong gains of 10.6 per cent, 9.3 per cent and six per cent, said ACI World’s economics director Rafael Echevarne.
“Air freight has seen a strong turnaround since 2013. Year-over-year growth has remained in the realm of four per cent over the previous six months. While there are signs of a Chinese slowdown on several fronts, the rise in global demand has boosted Chinese exports. Some key hubs in the region continue to perform well with respect to air freight volumes compared to previous years.” In the cabins, global passenger traffic grew by 6.7 per cent.
International travel increased nine per cent for the month, while domestic passenger markets were up 4.8 per cent.
While all regions across-the-board experienced gains in passenger traffic, the Middle East continued to stand out with 14.7 per cent passenger growth.
Major hubs Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi posted gains of 13.7 per cent, 17.5 per cent and 22.5 per cent respectively. On a year-to-date basis, Dubai ranked third in terms of passenger traffic, almost reaching the 25-million-passenger mark within the first four months of 2014.
International passenger traffic was also strong in Europe, with gains of over nine per cent compared to the previous year. London Heathrow, Paris CDG and Istanbul led traffic for the region in April with growth of 6.4 per cent, 7.9 per cent and 9.9 per cent respectively.
The domestic markets of Latin America and the Caribbean also grew. Sao Paulo, Mexico and Cancun saw domestic traffic increase by 16 per cent, 12.4 per cent and 10.7 per cent respectively.
“While there is a definite Easter effect contributing to a strong April in terms of passengers carried, even after adjusting for this effect, air transport demand continues to stay on its growth path,” Echevarne added.
“Looking back over the previous 12 months as a barometer for success, as many as 27 of the top 30 airports in the world achieved gains in traffic from May 2013 to April 2014. Major airport hubs in emerging markets such as Dubai, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur and Sao Paulo continue to experience double-digit growth.”
Air freight markets post stronger April as demand counters China slowdown
Cargo Archive Stories #231
Thursday, 26 June 2014
AIR freight markets continued to post gains in April thanks to improvements in world trade and recovery in global demand, according to Airports Council International (ACI).
Except for Africa, all regions experienced growth in year-over-year air freight volumes. The two largest global air freight markets, North America and Asia-Pacific, continued to lead the air freight recovery with growth levels of more than five per cent. The key freight hubs of Shanghai, Memphis and Hong Kong experienced strong gains of 10.6 per cent, 9.3 per cent and six per cent, said ACI World’s economics director Rafael Echevarne.
“Air freight has seen a strong turnaround since 2013. Year-over-year growth has remained in the realm of four per cent over the previous six months. While there are signs of a Chinese slowdown on several fronts, the rise in global demand has boosted Chinese exports. Some key hubs in the region continue to perform well with respect to air freight volumes compared to previous years.” In the cabins, global passenger traffic grew by 6.7 per cent.
International travel increased nine per cent for the month, while domestic passenger markets were up 4.8 per cent.
While all regions across-the-board experienced gains in passenger traffic, the Middle East continued to stand out with 14.7 per cent passenger growth.
Major hubs Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi posted gains of 13.7 per cent, 17.5 per cent and 22.5 per cent respectively. On a year-to-date basis, Dubai ranked third in terms of passenger traffic, almost reaching the 25-million-passenger mark within the first four months of 2014.
International passenger traffic was also strong in Europe, with gains of over nine per cent compared to the previous year. London Heathrow, Paris CDG and Istanbul led traffic for the region in April with growth of 6.4 per cent, 7.9 per cent and 9.9 per cent respectively.
The domestic markets of Latin America and the Caribbean also grew. Sao Paulo, Mexico and Cancun saw domestic traffic increase by 16 per cent, 12.4 per cent and 10.7 per cent respectively.
“While there is a definite Easter effect contributing to a strong April in terms of passengers carried, even after adjusting for this effect, air transport demand continues to stay on its growth path,” Echevarne added.
“Looking back over the previous 12 months as a barometer for success, as many as 27 of the top 30 airports in the world achieved gains in traffic from May 2013 to April 2014. Major airport hubs in emerging markets such as Dubai, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur and Sao Paulo continue to experience double-digit growth.”
