African Airlines Record Decline In Air Cargo In 2022

African airlines reported a 1.4 percent decline in air cargo in 2022, says the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) analysis of the global air cargo industry for the 2022 full year.

African airlines reported a decrease in demand of 1.4 per cent for global and international demand in 2022 compared to 2021 and an increase in capacity of 0.3 per cent (-0.2% for international operations).

Compared to 2019 (pre-COVID levels), demand was 8.3 per cent above (+9.4% for international operations) and capacity was down 15.3 per cent (-14.2% for international operations).

In December, airlines in the region posted a 10.0 per cent decrease in demand for both global and international operations compared to 2021. Capacity grew 1.3 per cent (+0.2% for international operations) during the same period.

Air cargo demand is a useful barometer of global and regional trade, just as the continent’s airlines reported a 10 per cent decrease in cargo demand and a 1.3 per cent increase in cargo capacity.

The Director General of IATA, Willie Walsh said in the face of significant political and economic uncertainties, air cargo performance declined compared to the extraordinary levels of 2021.

This, he said had brought air cargo demand to 1.6 per cent below 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels. The continuing measures by key governments to fight inflation by cooling economies, he said are expected to result in a further decline in cargo volumes in 2023 to -5.6 per cent compared to 2019.

“It will, however, take time for these measures to bite into cargo rates. So, the good news for air cargo is that average yields and total revenue for 2023 should remain well above what they were pre-pandemic. That should provide some respite in what is likely to be a challenging trading environment in the year ahead,” said Walsh”.