IATA releases April air cargo statistics
Latest report indicates that demand continues to gain momentum
Recent April 2021 data for global air cargo markets showed that air freight demand continued to outperform pre-Covid levels (April 2019) with demand up 12%, as noted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs), 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 high.
The upward showing was led by North American carriers, who contributed 7.5 percentage points to the 12% growth rate in April. Airlines in all other regions except for Latin America also played a part in that figure. However, capacity remains 9.7% below pre-Covid-19 levels (April 2019) as a result of the passenger aircraft that continue to be grounded, just as the March data also indicated.
