JAKARTA. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says that its recent data on global airfreight markets shows an acceleration of demand throughout September this year.

Measured by freight tonne kilometers (FTKs), global air-freight volume rose by 5.2 percent compared to September last year, which was 0.8 percent ahead of the 4.4 percent average growth in demand reported for the year-to-date, IATA director general and CEO Tony Tyler said.

Although the overall growth rate continued the positive trend of recent months, regional variations were significant, he said.

Airlines in the Asia-Pacific, North American, Middle Eastern and African regions posted strong growth figures. However, European carriers saw a decline of 1.6 percent compared to September 2013, while Latin American airlines reported little difference from 2013 with just 0.3 percent growth.

“There are mixed messages in September’s freight performance. The solid 5.7 percent growth for Asia-Pacific airlines is a particularly positive sign given their 40 percent market share. But, the 1.6 percent decline in demand for European airlines is a worrying trend that reflects the uncertainty in the European economy, amplified by sanctions resulting from the Ukraine-Russia conflict,” Tyler told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

According to IATA data, the Asia-Pacific region, including Indonesia, was benefiting from a rebound in trade activity after a slowdown in the first quarter of the year. The release of the iPhone 6 also increased freight shipments from China.

Meanwhile, the decline in cargo growth among European carriers was also triggered by an Air France pilots’ strike, impacting the volume of cargo from and to Europe.

In addition, Tyler said that Middle Eastern carriers recorded the highest airfreight volume, as it rose by 17 percent, a strong result when compared with their average growth in demand for the year-to-date of 10.1 percent.

The IATA represents 250 airlines comprising 84 percent of global air traffic. (Nurfika Osman)

Editor: Hendra Gunawan