GLOBAL AIRFREIGHT DOWN IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

GLOBAL AIRFREIGHT DOWN IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY       For the first two months of 2002, air cargo traffic from 700 airports worldwide was down 5 percent compared to figures in the same period last year, according to a report from Airports Council International.
   In five regions examined worldwide, cargo volume increased the most in Africa (+10 percent) in comparison to last year’s figures, with a metric ton volume of 78,353 tons compared to around 71,000 metric tons for the first two months of 2002. The region experiencing the biggest percentage loss in volume was Latin America and the Caribbean, reporting 157,388 metric tons of freight handled, a 19 percent loss from last year’s figure of 196,244 metric tons.
   Air cargo traffic increased in the Asia-Pacific region by 4 percent at 1,254,898 metric tons; it also increased in the Middle East by 3.5 percent, recording 207,286 metric tons over last year’s figure of 200,276 metric tons. Europe and North America experiencied losses in cargo volumes at 6 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
   ACI membership consists of 534 international airports and airport authorities, operating over 1,400 airports in 165 countries and territories. ACI represents the world’s airports in interacting with the International Civil Aviation Organization.