September 25, 2019: Diminishing business confidence levels and significant declines in international trade volumes caused reductions in air cargo demand in August 2019 for Asia Pacific airlines.
According to preliminary figures for the month of August released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), air cargo demand in freight tonne kilometres (FTK) fell by 6.4 percent year-on-year in August.
Subdued demand conditions, with businesses remaining cautious on their inventories, contributed to the persistent weakness.
Combined with a 1.1 percent increase in offered freight capacity, the average international freight load factor fell by 4.7 percentage points to 58.3 percent for the month.
Commenting on the results, Andrew Herdman, director general, AAPA said, "Air cargo demand declined by 5.9 percent during the first eight months of the year, with business confidence deteriorating further in August against a backdrop of heightened global trade tensions.
Consumer goods markets continued to expand, but demand for intermediate goods fell further, contributing to the decline in air shipments."
August 7, 2019: Demand in global air freight markets decreased by 4.8 percent in June 2019, compared to the same period in 2018, revealed International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTKs), the fall in demand marked the eighth consecutive month of year-on-year decline in freight volumes.
Asia-Pacific airlines saw demand for air freight contract by 5.4 percent in June 2019, compared to the same period in 2018 - the sharpest declines in year-on-year growth in total air freight volumes.
FTKs for the within-Asia market have decreased more than 10 percent over the past year.
Air freight capacity increased by 1.8 percent over the same period.
Globally, trade growth is languishing, and business uncertainty is compounded by the latest tariff increases in the US-China trade dispute.
December 05, 2019: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets showing that demand, measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTKs), decreased by 3.5 percent in October 2019, compared to the same period in 2018.
This marks a weak start to the traditional peak season for air cargo and the twelfth consecutive month of year-on-year declines in freight volumes.
Freight capacity, measured in available freight tonne kilometers (AFTKs), rose by 2.2 percent year-on-year in October 2019.
Freight volumes on key Africa-Asia routes were up 23 percent annually in September.
Against a backdrop of operational and geopolitical challenges facing some of the region’s key airlines, seasonally adjusted freight volumes in the region have resumed a modest upwards trend which is a positive development for the region’s carriers.
The US-China and South Korea-Japan trade wars have negatively affected the region.
