Middle East air cargo demand softens

Manama : Air cargo demand in the Middle East softened considerably in May, reflecting a slowdown seen globally, as per International Air Transport Association.

Middle Eastern carriers saw demand expand by 3.2 per cent and capacity rise 9.5pc in May compared to the same period last year.

Despite carriers in the region reporting the fastest growth, demand conditions weakened considerably.

Annual growth in May was one-fifth of the pace registered in May 2015, IATA said, adding that this reflects both an easing in network expansion by the region’s main carriers over the past six months and weak trading conditions.

Globally, IATA said air cargo demand growth measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTKs) slowed in May with growth falling to 0.9pc year-on-year.

Freight demand decreased or flat lined in May across all regions with the exception of Europe and the Middle East.