Global airfreight markets remained dispirited in May amid persistent sluggish global trade conditions, according to Airports Council International (ACI).
“While the industry was vulnerable to the macroeconomic context, it was also competing with other modes of delivery as freight load factors continued to exhibit weakness,” said the organization.
Total airfreight in May was basically flat with 0.6% growth year-on-year. International airfreight was up 0.5%, while domestic freight rose 0.9%.
Middle East airports reported moderate growth in total freight (3.3%) for May, followed by Europe (2.7%), and Asia-Pacific (1.4%). On the other hand, North America, Latin America-Caribbean, and Africa reported an airfreight decline of 1.5%, 3.9%, and 5.7%, respectively.
At the individual airport level, eight of the top 20 largest airfreight hubs reported declines in volumes, including Hong Kong (-1.1%), Frankfurt (-1.7%), and Beijing (-5.1%).
In the first five months of the year, total freight inched up 0.2%, with international cargo declining 0.8% and domestic freight rising 2.4%. On a 12-month rolling basis, total freight rose 0.7%, with international volumes expanding just 0.1% and domestic shipments going up 2.1%.
HKIA records mid-year decline
Meanwhile, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) reported a slight drop in cargo volume of 0.8% to 2.1 million tonnes during the first half of 2016.
The narrowing decrease in cargo throughput was attributed by Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) to an increase in transshipments.
In June, cargo volume recorded a 5.3% year-on-year increase to 368,000 tonnes. Transshipments contributed most significantly to the increase in cargo volume during the month, growing by 11% year-on-year. Exports and imports registered 5% and 2% growth, respectively, compared to June 2015. Traffic to and from Southeast Asia and China outperformed other regions.
AA said cargo tonnage is expected to consolidate for the rest of the year. “Meanwhile, we are closely monitoring whether there will be any impact on external economic environment and air traffic figures in the medium-term caused by Britain’s referendum to leave the European Union.”
On a rolling 12-month basis, HKIA’s cargo throughput dropped by 0.6% to 4.4 million tonnes.
Photo: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt
