By Chinelo Obogo
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its full-year 2024 and December 2024 global air cargo market performance data, which reveals a stark contrast between the global industry’s growth and the struggles faced by African airlines.
While the global air cargo sector celebrated a 6.1% year-on-year (YoY) increase, marking 17 consecutive months of growth, African carriers experienced a marginal 0.8% YoY decline, the second consecutive year of stagnation for the African air cargo market, highlighting the region’s ongoing challenges in the midst of a booming global industry.
IATA’s report shows the Asia Pacific region leading the global air cargo industry, with a 46.6% contribution to the annual Cargo Tonne Kilometers (CTK) growth. Despite a 4.9 percentage point decline compared to 2023, the region has remained in the forefront. North American carriers maintain the second position for the third consecutive month, surpassing European airlines with a 23.6% contribution, a 17.6 percentage point increase from the previous year. This growth shows the strength of North America’s economy. Meanwhile, European airlines accounted for 17.8% of the growth, experiencing a slight 0.1 percentage point decline while Middle Eastern carriers saw a 7.6% contribution, indicating a 4.5 percentage point drop from 2023, likely due to regional instability.
However, in contrast to the global upward trend, Africa’s air cargo sector continues to face significant hurdles. Poor infrastructure, policy barriers, and limited connectivity have contributed to the region’s stagnation and these challenges are not limited to the cargo sector alone as IATA released the results of its 2024 Global Passenger Survey recently which revealed how complex visa requirements are a deterrent for African travelers compared to other regions.
The survey shed light on the nightmare that African passengers have to go through while traveling due to visa restrictions on the continent.
It revealed that African travelers face more difficult challenges compared to their counterparts in other regions. Complex visa requirements remain a major hurdle, creating unnecessary barriers for passengers. IATA said African travelers prioritise convenience when choosing airports but are often constrained by limited options, inadequate infrastructure, and poor connectivity. These issues not only affect passenger travel but also have a ripple effect on the air cargo industry, further exacerbating the region’s challenges.