While air freight performance remains soft, the latest figures for June released by the International Air Transport Association reveal an improvement on the weak market conditions of a year ago. Compared to June 2011, freight demand has grown by 0.8%, behind a capacity expansion of 1.7%. “The current level of demand shows an improvement of about 2.5% on the market lows reached in the fourth quarter of 2011,” according to Iata. African airlines were in positive territory with a 15.9% increase in demand against a 12.1% increase in capacity. Also in positive territory were North American carriers who saw demand grow 1.8% compared to the previous June, while capacity shrank by 1.0%. Middle East carriers recorded a 17.9 % increase in demand against a 14.2% increase in capacity to meet the need for moving goods between the Middle East and Africa and also toward Europe and Asia. Asia-Pacific airlines on the other hand reported a 3% decline in demand ahead of a 1.3% trimming of capacity.
