IATA: Cargo traffic decline deepens in April

Industrywide cargo traffic in cargo tonne kilometers (CTKs) decreased 11.2% year over year in April due to the global supply chain and capacity challenges that continue to limit airfreight operations. April marks the second month of decline as the war in Ukraine continues to impact connectivity and capacity to Europe . Meanwhile, COVID-19 restrictions in Shanghai, initially expected to end in April but then extended , still significantly affected airfreight volumes from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), according to the latest report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Although other countries in the Asia-Pacific region showed more buoyant trade volumes, growth rates in the region were the slowest seen so far in 2022, IATA reported. [caption id="attachment_99460" align="alignright" width="533"] Photo / Emirates Group[/caption] According to the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), where readings under 50 indicate a contraction in the manufacturing sector, current export orders are lessening in all major markets, excluding the U.S., as Russian sanctions continue to disrupt manufacturing activity. Germany, Japan and Korea are among the countries seeing export orders fall below the 50 mark in 2022. Flat with March, global capacity, measured in international available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), were up 1.2% YoY, but still down compared with February. This pushed industrywide cargo load factors down 3.7 percentage points YoY to 54.9% in April. North America For carriers based in North America, international and total CTKs were down 7.7% and 6.6%, respectively. However, seasonally adjusted volumes in April increased 2% month over month, signifying an overall positive trend, according to IATA. Although routes between Asia and North America saw lower performance, the Europe-North America trade lane remained strong. IATA further reported that several carriers in the region are set to receive delivery of freighters in 2022 — including Atlas Air, DHL and Global Crossing Airlines — which will help increase capacity. Asia-Pacific International CTKs for carriers based in Asia-Pacific were down 12.1% YoY, while total market CTKs were down 15.8% YoY. Cargo throughput at airports in the region also continued to see declines in April , with PVG reporting the most significant decline of 60% YoY. Lower trade and manufacturing activity, as well as limited manpower also continued to impact cargo operations in the region, IATA reported. Latin America In April Latin American-based carriers continued to see growth, as with February and March, with international CTKs up 44% YoY. Total CTKs for carriers based in the region were up 40.9% YoY, IATA reported. Cargo stakeholders in the region continue to improve connectivity through new services and increased capacity. For instance, DHL Aviation plans to launch a six-times-weekly service between Viracopos (VCP) and Miami (MIA) via Bogota (BOG) in July. Meanwhile the Civil Aeronautics Board of Chile is seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Transport (DOT) to operate non-scheduled cargo flights between Latin America and the U.S. with a reciprocity offer for U.S. carriers to operate flights to Chile. Flights would operate from Chile (SCL) to MIA, Chicago (ORD), Rickenbacker (LCK), Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) and VCP. Europe, Middle East, Africa European carriers are among the most impacted by the war in Ukraine, reporting a 14.4% YoY decrease in international and total CTKs. However, a 4.9% month over month increase was recorded in April. Although cargo from Europe-Asia was reoriented to move through Middle Eastern hubs, a meaningful increase in CTKs is yet to be seen, IATA reported. In April international CTKs in the Middle East were down 11.8% YoY, with total CTKs virtually flat at an 11.9% decrease. This is most likely due to the “subdued demand overall,” they added. Meanwhile in Africa, carriers in the region reported a 6.3% decrease in total and international CTKs.

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