Supply chain disruptions halve cargo growth : IATA

Montreal : Disrupted supply chains and capacity constraints halved the growth of global air cargo in November 2021, according to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) published on January 11.
While economic conditions continue to boost air cargo demand, supply chain disruptions pulled down growth.
"All economic indicators pointed towards continued strong demand, but the pressures of labor shortages and constraints across the logistics system unexpectedly resulted in lost growth opportunities," said Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA.
"Manufacturers, for example, were unable to get vital goods to where they were needed, including PPE. Governments must act quickly to relieve pressure on global supply chains before it permanently dents the shape of the economic recovery from Covid-19," he claimed.
Overall, global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs), was up 3.7 per cent compared to November 2019 (4.2 per cent for international operations).
This was significantly lower than the 8.2 per cent growth seen in October 2021 (9.2 percent for international operations) and in previous months.
Capacity was 7.6 per cent below November 2019 (-7.9 per cent for international operations).
In terms of regional performance, Asia-Pacific airlines saw their international air cargo volumes increase by 5.2 per cent in November 2021 versus the same month in 2019. This was only slightly below the previous month's 5.9 per cent expansion.
International capacity in the region eased slightly in November, down 9.5 per cent compared to 2019.