According to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for April 2021, Middle Eastern carriers posted a 15.3% rise in international cargo volumes in April 2021 versus April 2019.
This was a significant improvement compared to the previous month.
Seasonally adjusted volumes remain on a robust upward trend. International capacity in April was down 17.5% compared to the same month in 2019.
Global demand was up 12% compared to April 2019 and 7.8% compared to March 2021. Seasonally adjusted demand is now 5% higher than the pre-crisis August 2018 peak.
Underlying economic conditions and favourable supply chain dynamics remain supportive for air cargo as global trade rose 4.2% in March.
Competitiveness against sea shipping has also improved. Air cargo rates have stabilized since reaching a peak in April 2020, while shipping container rates have remain relatively high in comparison.
Middle East Region's Boom in Air Cargo Demand Continues in March
Meanwhile, longer supplier delivery times as economic activity ramps up make the speed of air cargo an advantage by recovering some of the time lost in the production process.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said: “Air cargo continues to be the good news story for the air transport sector. Demand is up 12% on pre-crisis levels and yields are solid.
"Some regions are outperforming the global trend, most notably carriers in North America, the Middle East and Africa.
"Strong air cargo performance, however, is not universal. The recovery for carriers in the Latin American region, for example, is stalled.”
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