Prime Highlights
- Global air cargo chargeable weight rose 3 percent week-on-week in early June.
- North America led the rebound with a 16 percent volume increase.
Key Facts
- WorldACD Market Data tracks global air cargo volumes and pricing trends.
- Average global air cargo pricing fell 1 percent week-on-week.
Background
Global air cargo volumes recovered in the first week of June, as airlines restored capacity following disruptions caused by overlapping public holidays in several key markets, according to data from WorldACD Market Data.
Activity picked up after a slowdown the previous week, which had been linked to the overlap of Pentecost in Europe, Memorial Day in the United States, and the Eid Al Adha holiday, which affected operations across the Middle East, South Asia and parts of Africa.
Global chargeable weight rose 3 % compared with the previous week, recovering part of the 7 % decline recorded earlier. The recovery was led by a 16 % increase in volumes from North America and a 13 % rise from the Middle East, South Asia and Africa region. Africa reported a 3% increase, while Europe reported a 6% boost. Volumes from Asia Pacific and Central and South America each fell by 2 %.
Despite the stronger volumes, airfreight rates softened as oil prices continued to ease, with average global air cargo pricing down 1 % compared with the previous week.
The effect of the four-day Eid Al Adha holiday was visible when comparing the past two weeks with the prior fortnight, with outbound chargeable weight from the Middle East, South Asia and Africa falling 13 % and 12 % respectively, while other regions saw smaller declines.
Volumes from Europe, North America and the Middle East, South Asia and Africa region fell across all intercontinental routes, while tonnage from Asia Pacific rose 3 % to North America but declined on other routes, reflecting continued strong e-commerce and AI-related equipment shipments, particularly from Southeast Asia, WorldACD said.
On an annual basis, total chargeable weight was 6 % higher than the same period last year, though the data provider noted that the timing of holidays differed between years, affecting direct comparisons.
