Airline chiefs confident of cargo growth

The world’s top cargo chiefs are positive about demand picking up in the industry, according to the April Airline Business Confidence Index (ABCI). Of the different heads of cargo surveyed around the world, 43% expect improvement over the year. “Indicators of business confidence and trade have improved over recent months and that is now reflecting in the more optimistic outlook for passenger and cargo traffic,” said the survey report. Meanwhile, Air Cargo News reported that emerging African economies were also predicting future increased profits. It quoted Alex Mbugua, Kenya Airways’ financial director, who noted that more growth in cargo transportation would come from Africa and Asia in both the short- and longterm. “There are still several unexploited opportunities in this sector,” he said. “Africa is a huge continent with limited aviation infrastructure. But statistics show that our economies are growing and that is why aviation is also steadily catching up.” The survey noted respondents attributed the rising business costs to the recent hike in oil prices and continued uncertainty about the situation in Iran, which has been accused of developing nuclear weapons.