São Paulo – Air cargo demand for Middle East carriers witnessed a 14.7% year-on-year increase in July, according to data from the International Air Transport Association reported by Arab News. According to IATA, this was fueled by maritime tensions and an e-commerce boom.
The increase in delivery of freight by air comes amid attacks on maritime vessels in the Red Sea, which saw the number of ships using the Suez Canal drop.
Several shipping companies diverted their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope – a move which increases delivery times by 10 days or more on average.
Air cargo data
According to IATA, airlines in the region handled 13.5% of global cargo over the period, unchanged from the previous month.
The report further noted that Middle Eastern carriers’ air cargo capacity expanded by 4.4% in July compared to the same month last year.
