IN THE international airfreight market, overall traffic increased 3.6% in August compared to August 2002, according to the latest release from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) - representing over 270 airlines and 98% of international scheduled air traffic. The Middle East was the big performer during the month, with freight ton kilometres increasing by 18.4%. North American freight traffic increased by 3.8-FTK and Asia Pacific 3.1%. The growth rate in Africa for August was 1.9%. With growth slowing slightly in most regions, the year-to-date growth rate reached 6% - compared to 6.4% reported in July. The Middle East region YTD growth rate again ranked highest at 15.2%, followed by Africa at 10.4% and North America at 9%.
