Breaking down June performance, IATA noted that Africa-Asia trade surged 37.5% on the same month last year, while Europe-Asia, Middle East-Asia and inter-Asia flows climbed 20.3%, 15.1% and 21%, respectively.
Against this backdrop, rates have continued to soar, with WorldACD recording a 2% week-on-week rise for the week commencing 15 July.
At an average of $3.34 per kg for Asia-Pacific exports, the index said this left rates some 25% up on the same period last year, while Asia-Pacific to US spots were up 67%, at $6 per kg, “despite a drop in demand from China to the US in the last two full weeks”.
China-US tonnage fell 8% year on year, the drop “particularly noticeable” on the China-Los Angeles route, falling 23% and continuing a three-month trend of decline.
Away from Asia-Pacific, other regions fared well, with North America the only one missing out on double-digit volume growth, up 9.5% year on year in June, with Africa (+11.8%), Europe (+16.1%), Latin America (+13.1%) and the Middle East (up 13.8%).
Maritime disruption and surging ecommerce lifts airfreight to a record H1