Sun Oct 27 13:19:20 UTC 2024: ## Air Cargo Sales See Regional Divergence: Middle East and Asia Boom While Europe and Americas Struggle

**Amsterdam, Netherlands (October 26, 2024)** – The global air cargo industry is experiencing a mixed bag of fortunes, with strong growth in some regions overshadowed by declining sales in others. While global air cargo sales have risen by 10% year-to-date, according to a new analysis by WorldACD Market Data, Europe and North America are bucking the trend, experiencing significant sales declines.

The Middle East & South Asia (MESA) region is leading the charge, with a staggering 62% year-on-year increase in air cargo sales. This growth is driven by both a surge in chargeable weight flown and a significant increase in average pricing. Similarly, the Asia Pacific region has seen a 23% increase in sales, fueled primarily by increased chargeable weight.

In contrast, Europe and North America are facing headwinds. Despite increases in chargeable weight flown, average rates have fallen by 22% and 15% respectively, leading to overall air cargo sales declines of 16% and 12% respectively.

The analysis highlights the growing importance of general cargo, particularly in the cross-border e-commerce sector. General cargo volumes have outpaced special cargo growth, with shipments of meat, vulnerable/high-tech cargo, and fruit & vegetables seeing significant increases. However, live animal shipments have declined by 6%.

While general cargo dominates shipments from Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and MESA, special cargo, particularly perishables, plays a larger role in Africa and the Caribbean, South America (CSA) region. Notably, Africa and CSA have seen the strongest year-on-year growth in general cargo weight.

This regional divergence underscores the complex dynamics at play within the global air cargo industry. While some regions are flourishing, others are grappling with challenges, highlighting the need for continued adaptation and innovation in response to evolving market conditions.

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