FAA: Air cargo to gradually grow over 20 years

Most cargo growth in U.S. will come from international routes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s annual forecast.    Air cargo within U.S. airspace will grow at an annual rate of 3.6 percent to 72.6 billion revenue-ton-miles by 2035, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s annual aviation forecast. Growing demands on the nation’s air system will primarily come from more passenger traffic, which is why the FAA and the aviation industry want to finish development of the NextGen modernization system so more aircraft can safely operate in tighter space and fly more efficient routes.
   The number of passenger miles flown is expected to grow 2.5 percent over the period, but that’s off of a huge starting base.
   International air cargo is expected to grow 4.7 percent, while domestic air cargo growth will be flat at 0.5 percent, according to the FAA. It said the cargo fleet will increase from 758 aircraft to 1,082 aircraft in 2035.