Air cargo tonnages from Middle East & South Asia (MESA) origins have partially rebounded in the third week of June after falling sharply in the previous two weeks due to the effects of Eid Al-Adha holidays and the conflict between Israel and Iran.

According to the latest weekly figures and analysis from WorldACD Market Data, tonnages flown from MESA origins bounced back with a 10% week-on-week (WoW) increase in week 25 (June 16 to 22), after falling by around -15% in the first two weeks of the month.

Air cargo volumes from Middle East and South Asia (MESA) origins continued to decline in week 24, following sharp drops in week 23 — particularly in intra-MESA traffic (-26%) and flows to Africa (-16%). The Levant (-17%) and South Asia (-12%) were hit hardest, with week-on-week (WoW) declines from Bangladesh (-48%) and Pakistan (-30%).

However, week 25 saw a partial rebound: traffic from Pakistan surged +32%, Bangladesh rose +18%, and the Levant recovered +14% WoW. MESA-Europe volumes climbed +17% WoW, intra-MESA traffic regained +12%, and flows to Asia Pacific increased +11%. India, the region's largest origin market, posted a +7% WoW gain, while the UAE (+10%), Israel (+12%), and Saudi Arabia (+40%) also recorded strong recoveries.

 [Source: WorldACD]

On a global level, worldwide tonnages recorded a +2% WoW increase in week 25 – taking them +5% higher, year on year (YoY) – due to WoW increases from MESA origins (+10%), Europe (+5%), Africa (+4%) and Asia Pacific (+1%).  

Average global rates rose by around +1% in week 25 to US$2.43 per kilo, based on a full-market mix of spot and contract rates, taking them slightly (-1%) below their level in week 25 last year.

Flight operations returning to normal

WorldACD said flight operations across the Middle East that have been affected by airspace closures have partially resumed this week following the Israel-Iran ceasefire, and Gulf states including Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait have reopened their airspace, allowing flights through key hubs like Doha and Dubai.

But many international carriers remain on reduced operations to and from the region, with normality not expected to return until next month – depending on the ceasefire holding and full airspace reopening.

The report said these developments are likely to be reflected in the figures from weeks 26 and 27.