December 8, 2021
According to the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) October 2021 data for global air cargo markets, demand continued to be well above pre-crisis levels and that the capacity constraints have eased slightly.
(As comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons below are to October 2019 which followed a normal demand pattern.)
IATA says global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers, was up 9.4% compared to October 2019 (10.4% for international operations). Capacity constraints have eased slightly but remain 7.2% below pre-COVID-19 levels (October 2019) (-8.0% for international operations).
North American carriers posted an 18.8% increase in international cargo volumes in October 2021 compared to October 2019, on par with September's performance (18.9%). Demand for faster shipping times and strong US retail sales are underpinning the North American performance.
European carriers saw an 8.6% increase in international cargo volumes in October 2021 compared to the same month in 2019, an improvement compared to the previous month (5.8%). Manufacturing activity, orders and long supplier delivery times remain favorable to air cargo demand.