African Air Cargo Capacity Climbs 14% in August, IATA Reports

African airlines expanded their air cargo capacity by 14% year-on-year in August, outpacing the 3% growth in regional demand, according to data reported by IATA.

The imbalance between available capacity and cargo demand contributed to a decline in the region’s freight load factor. IATA said the measure fell by 3.9 percentage points to 36.5%.

Africa-Asia trade route contracts again

The Africa-Asia air cargo corridor also weakened during the month. It contracted by 11.9% year-on-year in August, marking the third consecutive month of decline, according to IATA.

The corridor’s performance contrasted with the broader global air freight market, where demand increased by 4.4% year-on-year.

Uneven regional performance

The figures indicate that growth in African cargo capacity was not matched by demand during August. While the additional capacity represents expansion in the region’s air cargo operations, the lower load factor points to weaker utilisation across the market.

IATA described the increase in global air freight demand as a positive sign as the peak end-of-year season approaches. However, the continuing contraction on the Africa-Asia corridor highlights the uneven performance of regional air freight markets.