African airlines recorded the smallest growth in cargo demand across global regions in September 2024, with only a 1.7% year-on-year increase, yet led all regions in capacity expansion with a notable 13.9% rise.
This disparity suggests that while African carriers saw limited growth in actual cargo volumes, they proactively scaled up their available cargo space.
This data, obtained from the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) September 2024 global cargo report, highlights African airlines’ focus on expanding capacity to meet future demand, despite current demand levels being lower than in other regions.
“African airlines saw 1.7% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in September, the slowest among regions. September capacity increased by 13.9% year-on-year,” the report read in part.
While African carriers led in capacity growth with a 13.9% year-on-year increase, the global capacity expansion was measured at 6.4%, with international belly cargo capacity growing 10.3%, continuing a 41-month trend of double-digit growth in capacity.
The disparity between African airlines’ demand and capacity growth reflects the broader trend in global cargo markets, where demand remains strong, especially in international operations, while capacity expansions keep pace to support future growth.
More insight
The IATA report for September 2024 further detailed air cargo performance across other regions, showing that Latin American carriers led global demand growth with an impressive 20.9% year-on-year increase and a 7.9% rise in capacity.
- Asia-Pacific and European airlines each saw a substantial 11.7% increase in demand, backed by capacity growth of 8.5% and 7.5%, respectively, reflecting a strong operational framework within these regions.
- In North America, airlines reported a moderate 3.8% demand increase, with a slightly higher 4.2% capacity rise, while Middle Eastern carriers posted a 10.1% increase in demand, with capacity growing by a more restrained 2.9%.
- The report also highlighted a notable 10.5% boost in international trade lane traffic, largely driven by the surge in e-commerce demand in markets such as the U.S. and Europe, amidst ongoing ocean shipping capacity limits.
- This consistent rise across global trade lanes highlights the resilience of air cargo markets. Despite these gains, IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, pointed to potential challenges ahead.
Walsh emphasized that the industry may face a “capacity crunch” in certain regions due to limitations in airport and air traffic infrastructure.
He urged governments and industry stakeholders to work together to ensure that infrastructure development keeps pace with the growing demand, which, if left unaddressed, could hinder the industry’s long-term growth trajectory and the economic benefits tied to air cargo expansion.
