Driven by trade flows with Asia , global air cargo grew 4% in April compared to the same period last year, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported.

He explained that Asia-Pacific airlines experienced a 10.5% year-on-year increase in cargo demand, the largest increase of any region. Capacity increased by 5.3% year-on-year.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, mentioned, however, that this positive result masks a more complex operational scenario.

“The severe disruptions to major Gulf (Persian) hubs caused by the conflict in the Middle East continue to force the reconfiguration of trade routes and limit capacity in key corridors. With cargo aircraft taking on much of the growth, air freight is once again ensuring the continuity of supply chains in a scenario marked by trade disruptions. The coming months will test the sector’s ability to cope with the ongoing climate of geopolitical uncertainty and rising operating costs,” he said.

However, in its report it mentioned that despite the growth in demand, capacity – measured in available cargo kilometer tonnes (ACTK) – contracted by 0.4% year-on-year, while international operations contracted by 0.9%.

IATA explained that among the factors that influenced cargo behavior last April were that world trade contracted by 2.1% in March compared to the previous month after four consecutive months of growth, which underscores the fragility of the trade momentum in the face of geopolitical tensions.

As did aviation fuel prices that month, with a year-on-year increase of 121.1%, along with a 77.7% increase in crude oil prices.

During that month, Middle Eastern airlines experienced the largest year-on-year decline, with an 18.2% drop in air cargo demand in April—the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity decreased by 22.9% year-on-year.

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