The global air traffic has started a gradual post pandemic recovery. The volume of cargo transported by African airlines grew by 33.9% between August 2019 and August 2021, while the global demand for cargo traffic (measured in ton-kilometers) increased by 7.7% between the two periods. The figures are provided by the International Air Transport Association (Iata).

The comparison is made to August 2019 (pre-pandemic), as this is an appropriate baseline period during which activity was normal. African airlines recorded the strongest growth of all regions. This performance was driven by investment flows along the Africa-Asia route, on which volumes transited are up 26.4% compared to August 2019.

Overall, growth in air business remains strong compared to the long-term average growth of about 4.7%. However, despite the 7.7% increase in global demand between 2019 and August 2021, the volume is lower compared to the 8.8% in July 2021.

Commenting on the data, Willie Walsh (pictured), Iata's MD, said: “Air cargo demand had another strong month in August, up 7.7% compared to pre-COVID levels. Many of the economic indicators point to a strong year-end peak season. With international travel still severely depressed, there are fewer passenger planes offering belly capacity for cargo. And supply chain bottlenecks could intensify as businesses continue to ramp up production.”

Henoc Dossa (intern)