IATA Reports 3.2% Increase in Air Cargo Demand for January 2025
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported an increase in global air cargo demand for January 2025, marking the 18th straight month of growth.
IATA Reports 3.2% Increase in Air Cargo Demand for January 2025
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its global air cargo data for January 2025, noting growth of 3.2 percent in the first month of the year. This marks an 18th consecutive month of growth.
Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose by 3.2 percent compared to January 2024 levels, while capacity increased by 6.8% for the same period.
According to IATA director-general Willie Walsh: “January marked 18 consecutive months of growth for air cargo, but the month’s 3.2 percent year-on-year growth is a moderation from double-digit peaks in 2024. Similarly, yields, while still above January 2024 levels, saw a 9.9 percent decline from December as cargo load factors also declined by an average of **1.5 percentage points.”
Translation: “January marked an 18th consecutive month of growth for air cargo, but year-on-year growth of 3.2 percent indicates a decline from the higher growth rates seen in 2024. Before January, yields were still above January 2024 levels, but fell by 9.9 percent from December, and average cargo load factors dropped by 1.5 percentage points.”
IATA stresses the need to monitor market conditions closely, citing factors like trade growth, falling fuel costs, and increased e-commerce demand as positive signs for the air cargo industry. However, potential tariff-driven trade policies from the current US administration could pose risks.
Key Indicators in January:
- Year-on-year, industrial production rose by 2.6 percent in December.
- Global goods trade marked a 3.3 percent increase.
- The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for global manufacturing output stood above the 50-mark, indicating growth.
Regional Performance:
- Asia-Pacific: 7.5% demand growth, capacity up 10.9%.
- North America: 5.3% demand growth, capacity up 7.5%.
- Europe: 1.3% demand growth, capacity up 3.5%.
- Middle East: 8.4% demand decrease, capacity down 1.2%.
- Latin America: 11.2% demand growth, capacity up 10.6%.
- Africa: 3.4% demand decrease, capacity up 5.4%.
