The revenues of cargo airlines from the Middle East gained 30 per cent month-on-month (MoM) worldwide during April, said WorldACD, a global provider unique information on air cargo markets, in a new report.

While the airlines in the Middle East and South Asia (MESA) segment and markets ex-Africa lost 24 per cent and 29 per cent MoM respectively in revenues, whilst African airlines as a group improved 15 per cent MoM in worldwide revenues.

Airlines based in Africa and airlines based in the Americas, profited least from the surge in market prices: their revenues, measured in USD, went down by 18 per cent resp. 4 per cent YoY. In contrast with them, the airlines from Asia Pacific, MESA and Europe, increased their revenues YoY by 70 per cent, 44 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. The airlines from Asia Pacific and MESA did best MoM, with revenue increases of around 30 per cent.

European airlines increased their worldwide revenue by 22 per cent MoM, whilst European markets lost 2 per cent.

Worldwide, chargeable weight carried by air, decreased with 31.7 per cent compared with April 2019 (year-over-year, YoY), and by 22.8 per cent compared with March 2020 MoM. Due to the well-publicized lack of cargo capacity, caused by the forced inactivity of many passenger aircraft, airline yields (in USD/kg) went up very sharply, by 63 per cent MoM, and by 99 per cent YoY.

Express business fared better than regular cargo (-8 per cent MoM), particularly from Asia Pacific (+21 per cent MoM). The category of smallest parcels (0-50 kg) suffered most (-42 per cent MoM), whilst – not surprisingly – big shipments of more than 5000 kilograms were heavily favoured: they hardly lost ground, while upping yields by more than average. And so, in the midst of aviation’s biggest crisis, worldwide air cargo revenues went up in April, by 36 per cent YoY and by 26 per cent MoM. – TradeArabia News Service