ACI airport data shows air cargo volumes still under pressure

Airport Council International’s (ACI) half-year report showed that airfreight volumes remained sluggish, despite gains in passenger traffic. Total airfreight handles reported by the world’s airports posted a marginal 0.5 percent growth, year-over-year, for the first six months of 2016, while passenger numbers increased 5.6 percent for the first half of the year. The organization blamed “subdued growth in emerging markets and developing economies and a modest recovery in advanced economies.”

The 0.5 percent y-o-y growth in global freight volumes at the world’s airports included 0.3 percent growth in international freight and a 1.0 percent rise in domestic freight on an annualized basis, ACI reported. International freight slowed in response to the tepid performance of global industrial activity, as well as China’s economic transition. “The weak growth of the Japanese economy and the weaker-than-expected growth of the United States, combined with recessions in Brazil and Russia, have all had a negative impact on air freight markets,” ACI said.

Three regions saw their y-o-y freight volumes veer into negative territory. North America, Latin America-Caribbean and Africa reported freight traffic losses of 2.1 percent, 0.9 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.

In Africa, modest half-year growth in airfreight traffic at South African hubs (+2.2 percent y-o-y) was offset by depressed air cargo traffic in other major markets, such as Egypt, which declined by 7.4 percent and Nigeria, down 1.7 percent.

Other regions fared better. Freight traffic growth in Asia-Pacific and European airports was up by of 1.0 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Only the Middle East posted a strong y-o-y growth rate (4.5 percent) over the first six months in 2016.