ICAO: Air freight up 4.6% in 2014

Preliminary figures from the International Civil Aviation Organization show a rebound in air cargo.    According to preliminary figures released by the International Civil Aviation Organization, global freight traffic rose 4.6 percent in 2014, rebounding from the modest 0.4-percent increase in 2013.
   ICAO attributed the growth to an overall improvement in world trade.
   The largest air freight market in 2014 was the Asia Pacific region, which controlled 40 percent of global air freight capacity, measured in freight ton-kilometers (FTKs). Europe and North America were the next largest markets, sporting 22 percent and 21 percent of global FTKs, respectively. The fastest growing air freight market was the Middle East, which recorded a growth of 11.3 percent in 2014.
   IACO added that the delivery of approximately 1,000 new commercial aircraft by the end of 2014 — with orders recorded for more than 2,000 additional units — as well as improved air traffic flow management and the expanded use of performance-based navigation will contribute positively to the sustainability of air transport development.