Airlines in the Asia Pacific region recorded another month of cargo growth in October, driven by a continued rise in e-commerce volumes and frontloading due to anticipated disruptions from a possible strike along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, as well as the tariffs associated with President Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20.

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 by 10.5% compared to the same month last year.

This is almost steady from October's 10.9% recorded cargo growth.

"In the air cargo segment, growth in shipment volumes was driven by sustained e-commerce demand and the front-loading of export orders ahead of anticipated US tariff hikes," the airline association said.

November's international air cargo demand growth slightly outpaced a 10.0% rise in offered freight capacity.

Consequently, the average international freight load factor edged up by 0.2 percentage points to 62.3% for the month.

"Driven by increased demand going into the year-end holiday season, air cargo markets saw healthy growth in November, contributing to a strong 14% year-on-year increase for the first eleven months of the year," said Subhas Menon, director general of AAPA.

"Persistent operational challenges in maritime shipping and anticipated US tariff hikes further bolstered demand," he added.

Looking ahead, Menon noted that based on current trends, 2024 is anticipated to conclude on a positive note for both passenger and cargo markets. 

"However, uncertainty about the global economy and supply chain disruptions pose challenges to the region's carriers," he added, noting, however, that Asia Pacific airlines remain well-poised to navigate these challenges whilst maintaining the highest safety and service standards.