Air cargo demand up in February

   Worldwide air cargo demand ticked up 2.9 percent in February, leading to an overall demand growth of 3.6 percent, year over year, so far in 2013, according to the International Air Transport Association.
   “Cargo has had a positive start to the year. There is good cause for measured optimism for the cargo industry’s prospects in 2014,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s chief executive officer, noting that cargo demand only increased by 1.4 percent during all of 2013.
   Tyler went on to say that the on-shoring trend that has taken hold, and an increase in protectionist measures by governments around the globe, are hurting trade growth, which is having a big impact on cargo.
   For February, airlines in North America saw a 0.3-percent decline in demand, as capacity dropped by 1.9 percent. But, IATA said business indicators in the manufacturing sector seem to show that a cargo turnaround is close at hand. Middle Eastern and European carriers saw the largest demand gains in February, measuring growth of 11.9 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively.