IATA: Cargo up in September, but future growth limited

International air freight tonnage rose by 5.2%, year-over-year, but only ticked up 0.6% over August.    Global cargo tonnage in September rose 5.2 percent, compared to September 2013, as capacity increased by 3.8 percent, according to the International Air Transport Association.
   The September tonnage increase comes after August’s 3.8-percent tonnage growth, year-over-year. From month to month, September volumes ticked up by 0.6 percent, and capacity was up by 0.4 percent.
   So far this year, IATA has recorded 4.4-percent growth in tonnage, year-over-year, and a 3.5-percent increase in capacity.
   According to IATA’s analysis, the air cargo outlook in some regions is solid, but the current state of the market leads analysts to believe that growth might be muted. Volumes, they said, are lagging behind global economic growth.
   Compared to September 2013, international volumes originating in the Middle East were up by 17.1 percent, and African volumes grew by 11.7 percent. European volumes fell by 1.7 percent, as North American tonnage grew by 4.6 percent. Compared to August, Middle Eastern cargo was up by 3.3 percent, and African tonnage rose by 1.4 percent. European carriers experienced a 0.6-percent drop.
   “There were mixed messages in September’s freight performance,” stated Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and chief executive officer. “Overall, improvements in global business confidence have stagnated — which could mean a bumpy road ahead for air cargo.”