The logistics sector continues to receive good news due to the increase in demand for air cargo globally, as reported by IATA (International Air Transport Association), this being a clear indicator of the good health with which the industry has been developing since the beginning of 2024.
This high expectation is accompanied by some interesting data, such as the fact that global demand has grown by 18.4% year-on-year in January of this year, which represents a notable increase compared to 2021, in addition to a significant increase of 25.8% year-on-year in the spaces available on aircraft for cargo purposes around the world. with the passenger line being one of the beneficiaries of this trend.
IATA with high expectations in the face of high demand for air cargo
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, has come to the fore to express the high expectations they have regarding the increase in air cargo demand, commenting the following: “Air cargo demand grew by 18.4% year-on-year in January. This is a good start to the year. In particular, the boom in e-commerce continues to contribute to air cargo demand exceeding growth in both trade and production since the last quarter of 2023. However, despite this good news, uncertainty about the evolution of the economic slowdown in China is a threat, a topic that will be present during the IATA World Cargo Symposium, which is being held in Hong Kong next week, and whose agenda will focus on digitalization, efficiency and sustainability.”
In addition to the words of the IATA director, it is appropriate to highlight other favorable factors that have been key to the growth of the logistics industry related to air transport, such as:
- Trade between countries rose by 1.0% in December from 0.2% in the previous month.
- The PMI index registered an increase in its score of up to 50.3, being practically above the 50% previously projected.
- The number of new international orders also showed a growth of 48.8%, although, however, it should be noted that this is still below the previously established projections.
The world’s leading economies have seen inflation fall and lower despite conflicts such as the container crisis, the war in Ukraine or the problems that persist in the Red Sea, which has helped the logistics sector to improve its numbers in this half of the year.
In short, the demand for air cargo will continue to have a positive future in the different exporting powers, even contemplating important companies such as Airbus, which already forecasts a demand of close to 400 aircraft specialized in cargo over the next 20 years.
Sources:
Demand for air cargo grew by 18.4% in January. IATA
What are the projections of the air cargo market for the year 2042? The Chronicler
