Healthy global Air Freight Services statistics highlight most recent ACI report

Welcome to our new Air Freight Services blog, where we plan to continually analyze the North American air cargo industry, publish reports, analyze and explore issues that affect it. The blog is for those involved in the air cargo, express freight and transportation sector, and we appreciate and welcome your participation. 

2014 proved to be a very good year for the economy in general, transportation in general and the global air cargo industry in particular. 

Express air cargo represents a natural manifestation of a growing economy, and it’s paying dividends around the world for those involved in the industry.

The Airports Council International’s (ACI) latest report highlights this growth, and its findings were recently released in an August update. According to the study, global air cargo volume (total volume) was up 5.8% over the month compared to last year; the U.S. growth was weaker, but still returned positive momentum, up 2.1% over last year. Growth in total tonnage was even more impressive, reaching 7.5% worldwide, with about 5.1 million metric tons shipped during the month.

Leading the world was the Middle East, where traffic volumes were up 20.5% year-on-year amid rapid economic growth, with the continued expansion of Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport being a major factor. The airport, which only opened in June 2010 for cargo flights and in 2011 for passenger flights, has exceeded its cargo traffic forecasts almost from the moment it opened. In a very short period of time, the airport has become a true hub for air cargo in the Middle East. In August alone, the airport handled 80,000 metric tons of air cargo, more than five times the amount handled last year.

The Asia-Pacific region also remains very active, with annual growth of 8.2% for August, and Hong Kong International, the most important transportation hub, posted 8.6% growth, leading the region.

As the leader in air cargo logistics in North America, we are very pleased to see these figures for August. Our comprehensive services encompass air cargo, air cargo charters and ultra-large cargo shipments across the continent. The critical importance of ensuring your shipment arrives on time is at the heart of everything we do and contributes to your success.