Air freight carried momentum into the new year, says IATA

© Xavier Marchant

Air freight enjoyed a 6.9% increase in freight tonne kilometres (FTKs) in January, below the double-digit pace of December, but still significantly higher than the five-year average rate of 3%. While nothing is certain in this industry, IATA struck a note of optimism by pointing to a continuing rise in export orders, with the Global Purchasing Managers’ Index last month at its highest since March 2011, while semi-conductor shipments saw “a pronounced pick-up” in the fourth quarter. Regionally, Europe, North America and the Middle East enjoyed growth, while African FTKs “surged…a whopping 25%.” Good news – for all but Latin America, where traffic fell.