Airlines in the Asia Pacific region reported another month of cargo growth in July, driven by increased e-commerce demand and shipping disruptions, which led to a shift from ocean to air transport.

Traffic figures released by the Kuala Lumpur-based Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed that international air cargo demand — measured in freight tonne-kilometres (FTK) — was up 12.3% year-on-year compared to the same period in July 2023.

This follows a 16.4% year-on-year growth in June and a 17.9% year-on-year increase in May.

In April, cargo volume was up 13.7% year-on-year, and it also expanded 15.3% in March, compared to the same period in 2023 — extending the rebound seen in the last quarter of last year.

"Air cargo markets continued to benefit from robust e-commerce demand and ongoing disruptions in maritime shipping," AAPA said in a statement.

In July, international air cargo demand, in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), saw a healthy 12.3% year-on-year increase in July while offered freight capacity grew by 11.0%.

This led to a 0.7 percentage point increase in the average international freight load factor to 61.1% for the month.

 [Source: AAPA]

"The strong demand trend observed in the first half of the year carried into July, with Asian airlines reporting growth in both international passenger and cargo markets ... international air cargo demand rose by 15.6% year-on-year, in contrast to the depressed levels seen in the same period last year," said Subhas Menon, director general of AAPA.

Looking ahead, Menon expressed optimism for the region's airline industry despite ongoing market disruptions.

"Despite ongoing supply chain disruptions, the outlook for travel markets remains positive, as Asia Pacific airlines continue to benefit from resilient business and leisure demand," he said.

"In particular, China-based airlines are experiencing solid growth in passenger demand as traffic in China recovers, driving overall expansion," Menon added, noting that in response to this dynamic marketplace, the region’s carriers continue to be focused on improving operational efficiency and intensifying sustainability initiatives while maintaining profitability.

The AAPA chief earlier signalled that air cargo in the Asia Pacific is poised for further growth in the latter half of the year, driven by sustained positive momentum in the global economy, despite some uncertainties in the geopolitical landscape.