Dubai: Middle Eastern airlines carried more freight cargo in the month of July than they did a year earlier, according to the latest figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Carriers from the region handled 9.4 per cent more cargo than the same month last year, while capacity increased by 7.8 per cent.
“This strong performance came despite the impact of Ramadan. Airlines in the region are capturing growth opportunities by opening routes to fast-developing economies such as Mexico and Uganda,” IATA said in yesterday’s statement.
In the first seven months of the year, the freight market for Middle East carriers has grown 9.8 per cent while capacity has increased by 8.9 per cent.
Globally, air freight volumes increased by 5.8 per cent in July compared to a year earlier.
“The strong growth mirrors positive developments in some key regional economies. After a slowdown at the start of the year, global business confidence and trade are showing signs of improvement again,” IATA said.
Europe had the weakest growth among six regions IATA compiled data on.
“European air freight … grew just 1.8 per cent. This reflects the effects of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, including the impact of mounting economic sanctions, which is adding to economic weakness in the Eurozone,” IATA said.
