Global air cargo rates were about 36 percent higher than a year earlier in mid May, though they held steady over the past fortnight, data from WorldACD shows.
The logistics data firm’s latest Air Cargo Market Trends report, published on 28 May and drawn from more than 500,000 transactions a week, put the worldwide average rate at US$3.23 per kilogramme in the week of 18 to 24 May, against US$2.40 in the same week last year. That marks a rise of roughly 36 percent year on year (YoY), even as rates were broadly flat across the latest two weeks.
Volumes also firmed. Worldwide chargeable weight, a measure of cargo demand, rose about 3 percent over the latest fortnight and 2 percent on the year, while available capacity grew around 1 percent over the two weeks and 3 percent annually.
Among regions, the Middle East and South Asia posted the steepest annual rate increase at about 56 percent, followed by Europe at 38 percent and Africa at 37 percent. Asia Pacific climbed 34 percent and North America 26 percent, while Central and South America recorded the smallest gain at about 10 percent.
For Africa, the average rate stood roughly 37 percent above a year earlier but eased about 6 percent over the latest two weeks. Outbound volumes from the continent rose around 6 percent over the fortnight, though they remained marginally below last year’s level.
Across most regions, rates dipped slightly or held flat over the past two weeks even as annual comparisons stayed strongly positive, reflecting elevated pricing measured against a softer base a year ago.
