Global air freight momentum slowing: IATA

[BERLIN] Growth in demand for air freight is slowing, as world trade growth weakens, a leading air industry body said on Thursday.

Air cargo volumes rose 3.3 per cent in April, compared with average growth of 5.3 per cent over the first three months of the year, and only the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions reported growth, IATA said in its regular monthly freight statistics.

Capacity also increased 5.5 per cent in April, pushing the load factors - a measure of how full planes are - down to 44.7 per cent.

"After a volatile start to 2015, the market is settling down, and it is clear that momentum in air freight growth is being lost," IATA Director General Tony Tyler said in the statement.

REUTERS