Global air cargo markets continued their strong growth in July, according to the latest figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs), was up 8.6% compared to July 2019. (Comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by Covid-19).
Overall growth remains strong compared to the long-term average growth trend of around 4.7%.
But the pace of growth slowed slightly compared to June which saw demand increase 9.2% (against pre-COVID-19 levels).
Capacity continues to recover but is still 10.3% down compared to July 2019.
North American carriers posted a 20.5% increase in international demand in July 2021 compared to July 2019. This was in line with June’s performance (19.8%) and the strongest of all regions. New export orders and demand for faster shipping times are underpinning the North American performance.
European carriers posted a 6.0% increase in demand in July 2021 compared to the same month in 2019. This was a marginal decrease compared to the previous month (6.8%). But manufacturing activity, orders and supplier delivery times are still favorable to air cargo.