African airlines achieve 13.9% capacity growth and 1.7% increase in cargo demand in September 2024 – IATA

In September 2024, African airlines recorded the smallest growth in cargo demand of any region worldwide, up just 1.7% year-on-year, but led all regions in capacity expansion with a notable 13.9% increase.

This disparity suggests that while African carriers have seen limited growth in actual cargo volumes, they have been aggressively expanding available cargo space.

The data, taken from the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) September 2024 global 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 air cargo demand grow 1.7% year-on-year in September, the slowest among regions. September capacity increased 13.9% year over year.” The report has been partially read.

While African carriers led capacity growth with a 13.9% year-on-year increase, global capacity growth was 6.4%, with international freight traffic up 10.3%, continuing a 41-month trend of double-digit growth. growth in throughput. .

The discrepancy between demand and capacity growth among African airlines reflects a broader trend in global cargo markets, where demand remains strong, particularly in international operations, while capacity expansion keeps pace, supporting future growth.

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IATA’s September 2024 report further detailed air cargo performance in other regions, revealing that Latin American carriers led global demand growth with an impressive 20.9% year-on-year growth and a 7.9% increase in capacity.

• Asia Pacific and European airlines saw a strong increase in demand of 11.7%, accompanied by capacity growth of 8.5% and 7.5% respectively, reflecting the strong operating structure in these regions.
• In North America, airlines reported a modest 3.8% increase in demand with slightly higher capacity growth of 4.2%, while Middle Eastern carriers reported a 10.1% increase in demand with capacity growth of more than a reserved 2.9%.
• The report also noted a notable growth of 10.5% in international trade traffic, mainly driven by rising e-commerce demand in markets such as the US and Europe amid ongoing restrictions on shipping capacity.
• This consistent growth in global trade routes underscores the resilience of air cargo markets. Despite these successes, IATA Director General Willie Walsh pointed to potential challenges ahead.

Walsh stressed that the industry could face a “capacity crisis” in some regions due to airport and air traffic infrastructure constraints.

He called on governments and industry stakeholders to work together to ensure that infrastructure development keeps pace with growing demand, which if left unaddressed could hamper the industry’s long-term growth trajectory and the economic benefits associated with expanding air cargo.

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