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IATA calls 2021 stellar year for air cargo; registers second biggest demand growth
IATA calls 2021 stellar year for air cargo; registers second biggest demand growth
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets showing that full-year demand for air cargo increased by 6.9 percent in 2021, compared to 2019 (pre-covid levels) and 18.7 percent compared to 2020 following a strong performance in December 2021.

IATA calls 2021 stellar year for air cargo; registers second biggest demand growth

January 31, 2022: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets showing that full-year demand for air cargo increased by 6.9 percent in 2021, compared to 2019 (pre-covid levels) and 18.7 percent compared to 2020 following a strong performance in December 2021.

This was the second biggest improvement in year-on-year demand since IATA started to monitor cargo performance in 1990 (behind 2010’s 20.6 percent gain), outpacing the 9.8 percent rise in global goods trade by 8.9 percentage points.

Capacity in 2021, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTKs), was 10.9 percent below 2019 (12.8 percent for international operations). Capacity remains constrained with bottlenecks at key hubs.