THE capacity for air cargo transportation, as measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), saw a notable year-on-year increase of 12.2 per cent, reports Manila's Port Calls.

This surge was primarily a result of airlines augmenting their belly capacity by 30 per cent to cater to the heightened summer travel demand.

This growth coincided with a gradual improvement in manufacturing and exports during August, albeit at a somewhat slower pace.

It's important to note that global trade had been contracting for the past four months consecutively, with inflation trends showing mixed results.

IATA director general Willie Walsh underscored the importance of maintaining caution in spite of these positive developments.

While certain concerns persist, the approaching busy year-end season offers a reason for cautious optimism.

In August, airlines in the Asia-Pacific region saw a 4.9 per cent rise in air cargo volume compared to the same month the previous year, in contrast to the 2.3 per cent growth observed in July.

Asia-Pacific carriers also benefited from a substantial increase in cargo space within aircraft, which expanded 28.5 per cent.

In North America, air cargo volumes declined 1.2 per cent in August, a relatively better performance than the 5.4 per cent decrease experienced in July.

Cargo space on North American flights increased 2.7 per cent.

European airlines witnessed a marginal 0.2 per cent decrease in cargo volumes, though there was an increase in available cargo space, which expanded 3.6 per cent.

Airlines in the Middle East noted a 1.4 per cent increase, marking a departure from the -0.1 per cent figure recorded in July.

Cargo space on Middle Eastern flights increased significantly 15.7 per cent.

Latin American carriers transported 6.2 per cent more cargo in comparison to August 2022, with cargo space expanding 13.7 per cent.

Conversely, African airlines experienced a 4.7 per cent reduction in cargo transported compared to August 2022, although cargo space grew 3.8 per cent.