Worldwide air freight traffic up almost 16% in H1

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reviews, the worldwide air cargo in the civil aviation sector reached 131.3 billion t⋅km in H1 2024, up 13.4% year-on-year.

Double-digit growth rates were sustained throughout the first six months of the year. The worldwide air cargo surged 14.1% in June 2024 against June 2023 to 23.1 billion t⋅km.

International traffic rose by 15.6% compared to June last year, with growth seen in all regions. The highest traffic growth rates were recorded in the APR (17%) and Europe (16.1%), and the lowest in North America (9.5%).

Air cargo supply is also increasing, with growth rates accelerating significantly in June. While in May the growth was 6.7%, in June it reached 8.8%. On international routes, available capacity grew by 10.8% year-on-year in June.

Commenting on the record high worldwide air freight traffic in the first half of the year, Willie Walsh, IATA Director General, notes that maritime shipping constraints and a booming e-commerce sector are still among the strongest growth drivers.