Global air cargo up 9.4% compared to pre-Covid levels in May: IATA

Global demand measured in cargo tonne kilometres was up 9.4 per cent compared to May 2019, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said.

Seasonally adjusted demand rose by 0.4 per cent month-on-month in May, the 13th consecutive month of improvement.

The pace of growth slowed slightly in May compared to April which saw demand increase 11.3 per cent against pre-Covid-19 levels (April 2019). Notwithstanding, air cargo outperformed global goods trade for the fifth consecutive month.

IATA said North American carriers contributed 4.6 percentage points to the 9.4 per cent growth rate in May. Airlines in all other regions except for Latin America also supported the growth.