AirBridgeCargo’s volume growth slows, but remains in double digits

As perhaps the world’s fastest-growing all-cargo airline, AirBridgeCargo (ABC) again reported respectable volume growth of 16 percent, year-over-year, for the first half of 2017 to 335,000 tonnes.

Growth rates, however, are down compared to 2016 – when ABC reported sharply higher cargo tonnage growth of 31 percent, y-o-y, during the first five months of the year – but are steady compared to 2014 and 2015, when ABC reported respective y-o-y volume growth of 16 and 17 percent.

This year’s volume growth was supported by strong demand across ABC’s Asia-Pacific network, particularly to and from Taipei for delivery of high-tech products, the airline said. Overall, ABC reported cargo volume growth of 20 percent to and from the Asia-Pacific region during the first half of 2017. In contrast, last year’s explosive growth was attributed to ABC’s network expansions to new destinations, including a Houston-to-Abu Dhabi route, and expanding services to Africa via a partner airline.

ABC also reported freight tonne kilometer (FTK) growth of 13 percent, y-o-y, and load factor growth of 4 percentage points to 71 percent for the same period.

The all-cargo carrier is focusing on high-value pharmaceuticals and off-size cargo transport to continue driving growth, ABC said. With its abcPHARMA program offering active and passive temperature-sensitive services for pharma transport, ABC was the first Russian airline to receive IATA’s CEIV certification for pharmaceuticals in November 2016.

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