Aapa: 2022 a difficult year for cargo
Preliminary traffic results for the full calendar year 2022 recently released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (Aapa) showed robust recovery in international passenger markets after more than two years of prolonged lockdowns and strict border control measures that severely crippled demand.
In contrast to the recovery in passenger markets, international air cargo demand weakened in 2022 and continued to face multiple challenges.
International air cargo demand recorded an 8.2% decline in 2022, following from a robust 20.3% annual increase in 2021. Offered freight capacity expanded by 2.2%, as robust recovery in commercial passenger operations led to a gradual increase in available bellyhold space. As a result, the international freight load factor declined by 7.5 percentage points to average 66.6% for the year. (cj)