24.10.31Int’l Air Cargo Demand Grows 8.9% in Sept.

International air cargo demand as measured in freight ton kilometers (FTK) grew 8.9% to 6.08 billion FTKs in September, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). On the back of robust consumer and business demand, there has been a year-on-year increase for the 11th month in a row since September 2023.

After accounting for a 9.4% increase to 10.09 billion available freight ton kilometers (FATK) in offered freight capacity, the average international freight load factor declined marginally, by 0.3 percentage points to 60.2%.

“Air cargo markets continued to expand, driven by the increases in export volumes from key manufacturing economies in Asia, including China, India, Japan and South Korea,” said Subhas Menon, AAPA director-general.

In the first nine months, FTKs surged 14.4%, but FATKs increased a more notable 14.8%, making the average international freight load factor down by 0.2 percentage points to 60.6%.