Global air cargo demand rises by 4.4% in March: IATA

IATA reported a 4.4 per cent year-on-year increase in global air cargo demand for March, reaching a historic high for the month. International demand rose by 5.5 per cent, while overall cargo capacity grew by 4.3 per cent globally and 6.1 per cent for international operations, reflecting momentum in air freight markets, said Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA. “March volumes were strong. It is possible this is partly a front-loading of demand as some businesses tried to beat the well-telegraphed 2 April tariff announcement by US President Trump administration. The uncertainty over how much of the 2 April proposals will be implemented may eventually weigh on trade. Lower fuel costs, a result of the same uncertainty, are a short-term factor for air cargo. Within the temporary pause on implementation we hope that political leaders will be able to shift trade tensions to reliable agreements that can restore confidence in global supply chains,” Walsh said.