Demand for air cargo will continue to grow, IATA predicts - Oleg Sergeev

The strong recovery of the industry will be supported by the growth of the global economy and the deployment of vaccinations.

After analyzing the available statistics, the International Air Transport Association noted the rapid recovery of cargo transportation from the consequences of the pandemic and gave a positive forecast for an increase in demand for air cargo transportation. According to IATA, the fastest recovery is happening in two directions: the Middle East - Europe and the Middle East - Asia. North America is returning a little slower to the pre-crisis level of volumes. Europe, whose economy is weakened due to the blockade, lags significantly behind them. Latin America, where the reorganization of airlines is taking place, is slowing down due to the lack of proper government support.

The head of IATA Willie Walsh believes that the high revenues of air cargo carriers, which are caused by an acute shortage of capacity in the industry, are temporary and as transport barriers are removed, this situation will normalize.

As an aviation expert, I anticipate that carriers will continue to generate high revenues until at least the end of this year. These airlines include ZetAvia, which specializes in the transportation of goods in the Middle East, Europe and Africa. At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that high load factors and high incomes will be temporary. Time will tell how the aviation industry as a whole will cope with the consequences of the pandemic.