IATA: Global Air Freight data released

De International Air Transport Association (IATA) heeft in september 2016 gegevens vrijgegeven voor wereldwijde luchtvrachtmarkten, waaruit blijkt dat de vraag, gemeten in vrachttonkilometers (FTK's), jaar op jaar met 6.1% is gestegen. Dit was het snelste groeitempo sinds de verstoring veroorzaakt door de staking van de zeehavens aan de Amerikaanse westkust in februari 2015.

De vrachtcapaciteit, gemeten in beschikbare vrachttonkilometers (AFTK's), steeg in dezelfde periode met 4.7%. De beladingsfactoren bleven historisch laag, waardoor de opbrengsten onder druk stonden.

De positieve prestatie van september viel samen met een duidelijke ommekeer in nieuwe exportorders in de afgelopen maanden. Enkele unieke factoren kunnen ook hebben bijgedragen, zoals de snelle vervanging van Samsung Galaxy Note 7-apparaten gedurende de maand, evenals de vroege gevolgen van de ineenstorting van de scheepvaartlijn Hanjin eind augustus.

“Demand for air cargo strengthened in September. Although with growth in world trade virtually at a standstill, the air cargo sector still faces some major hurdles. We did have some encouraging news. The conclusion of the EU-Canada Free Trade Agreement is good news for the economies involved and for air cargo. Growth is the way to overcome the world’s current economic challenges. The EU-Canada agreement is a welcome respite from the current protectionist rhetoric and positive results should soon be evident. Governments everywhere should take note and move in the same direction,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

¹% van de FTK's in de industrie in 2015 ²Jaar-op-jaar verandering in bezettingsgraad ³Belastingsfactorniveau 

Regionale prestaties

Airlines in all regions except Latin America reported an increase in year-on-year demand in September. However results continued to vary considerably.

• Azië-Pacific luchtvaartmaatschappijen saw freight volumes increase by 5.5% in September 2016 compared to the same period last year. Capacity in the region expanded 3.4%.The positive Asia-Pacific performance corresponds with signs of an increase in export orders in China and Japan over the last few months. Seasonally-adjusted freight results for Asia-Pacific carriers are now trending upwards.
• Europese luchtvaartmaatschappijen experienced a 12.6% increase in freight volumes in September 2016. Capacity increased 6.4%. The strong European performance corresponds with an increase in reported new export orders in Germany over the last few months.
• Noord-Amerikaanse vervoerders saw freight volumes expand 4.5% in September 2016 year-on-year, as capacity increased 2.6%. International freight volumes grew by 6.2% – their fastest pace since the US seaports disruption boosted demand in February 2015. However, in seasonally-adjusted terms volumes are still just below the level seen in January 2015. The strength of the US dollar continues to keep the US export market under pressure.
• Vervoerders uit het Midden-Oosten saw demand growth slow for the third consecutive month to 1.2% year-on-year in September 2016 – the slowest pace since July 2009. Capacity increased by 6.2%. Seasonally-adjusted freight growth, which had been trending upwards until the past year or so year, has now halted. This turnaround in performance is partly due to weaker conditions in the Middle East-to-Asia and Middle East-to-North America markets.  





• Latijns-Amerikaanse luchtvaartmaatschappijen reported a decline in demand of 4.5% and a drop in capacity of 4.7% in September 2016, compared to the same period in 2015. The ‘within South America’ market has been the weakest performing market so far this year with volumes contracting 14% year-on-year in August, the most recent month for which route specific data are available. The comparative strength of the US economy has helped boost volumes between North and South America with US imports by air from Colombia and Brazil increasing by 5% and 13% year-on-year respectively.
• Afrikaanse vervoerders saw freight demand increase by 12.7% in September 2016 compared to the same month last year – the fastest rate in nearly two years. Capacity surged year-on-year by 34% on the back of long-haul expansion in particular by Ethiopian Airlines and North African carriers.

View September freight results (Pdf)