The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Global Air Cargo Market Regular Data for August 2024 shows that demand continues to grow strongly. Total global air cargo demand, measured in freight tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), increased by 11.4% year-on-year in August 2023 (international demand increased by 12.4%). Double-digit year-over-year growth for nine consecutive months, reaching its highest level since a record peak in 2021. Air cargo capacity (available freight tonne-kilometers, ACTKs) increased by 6.2% year-on-year (international capacity increased by 8.2%) compared to August 2023. This was largely due to the growth of international belly capacity, which grew by 10.9% on the back of a strong passenger market. Full freighter capacity has reached an all-time high. Willie Walsh, President of IATA, said: “There is a lot of good news in ·the air cargo market. So far, this year has hit a record high for two consecutive months. Despite capacity at all-time highs, revenue was still up 11.7% year-on-year in 2023, 2% month-on-month in July, and 46% above pre-pandemic levels. This strong performance was driven by slow but steady growth in global trade, booming e-commerce, and continued tightness in ocean freight capacity. ”In addition to the great demand for international logistics air transportation, some inland cities also have air access to the sea and obtain more convenient trade conditions due to the development of airport transportation.

For instance, Asia’s first professional cargo airport, Hubei Ezhou Huahu International Airport, exceeded 200 international cargo flights in a single week for the first time, a record high, and could provide nearly 13,000 tons of air transport capacity for Sino-foreign economic and trade exchanges every week. Ezhou Huahu International Airport, the first in Asia and the only professional cargo hub in China was officially put into operation on July 17, 2022. On April 1, 2023, the airport officially opened international cargo routes.

Since the beginning of this year, Ezhou Huahu International Airport has successively opened 6 domestic cargo routes and 14 international cargo routes, including “Ezhou – Incheon – Miami” and “Ezhou – Incheon – Chicago” 2 international regular fifth air right cargo routes. It gradually built a domestic route network covering the whole country and an international route network radiating Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. In addition, the airport has successfully introduced 14 cargo airlines, including United States Conny Air, India Spice Airlines, and Ethiopian Airlines, and continued to increase its capacity.

Ezhou Huahu International Airport is seizing the opportunity of air cargo development, making full use of the advantages of the domestic route network, international air cargo network, and the strong global cargo organization ability of international leading freight forwarding enterprises, building a transit service platform. In addition to Ezhou Huahu Airport in central China, Xi’an in western China also emphasizes cargo aviation. On 2024 September 6, the launching ceremony of the first international all-cargo routes from Xi’an to Liège and Xi’an to Budapest was successfully held. Airport New City signed an all-cargo route opening agreement with Cainiao Group and France Post DPD Group.

The opening of these two routes not only provides a more convenient air channel for China-EU economic and trade exchanges but also an important measure for the Airport New City to promote high-level opening up and high-quality development. It marks a major leap forward in the westward expansion and extension of the “Air Silk Road”, helping to open up. Recently, MSC Air Cargo opened a new chapter by strengthening its position in the global air cargo sector with direct flights from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) in Italy to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). The opening of this new route marks the expansion and optimization of MSC’s air cargo services, which will operate twice a week, providing customers with faster and more efficient cargo solutions.

This strategic move by MSC Air Cargo will not only shorten the logistics time and reduce transportation costs between Europe and Asia but will also promote the optimization of the global supply chain, heralding a new era of global logistics and transportation. Air cargo, with high demand, high convenience, and high connectivity, will continue to expand the market and connect the world. With the upgrading of the high-end manufacturing industry and the rapid development of e-commerce, air cargo will be more in-depth with our lives, creating more trade opportunities and trade links.

By Le Tianyu