The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has reported that international air cargo demand decreased by almost two percent year-on-year as international trade activity was affected by declines in new export orders.

In a statement, the trade association of major scheduled international airlines based in the Asia-Pacific region said air cargo volumes for November dropped by 1.9% and for the first 11 months of 2019, it decreased by 5.3% as demand for air cargo remained subdued in line with weak international trade flows.

"Challenging business conditions resulting from protracted trade disputes dampened demand. Asian airlines were particularly vulnerable, given the region's importance in the global manufacturing supply chain," said AAPA director general Andrew Herdman.

"The outlook for air cargo demand remains overshadowed by uncertainty over the resolution of ongoing global trade disputes," he added.

Meanwhile, passenger markets registered growth during that month. 

AAPA said preliminary traffic figures for the month of November showed international air passenger markets recorded a further increase in demand, stimulated by the availability of affordable airfares and improvements to connectivity. 

In aggregate, the region's airlines flew 30.3 million international passengers in November, a 3.4% increase compared to the same month last year.