Airlines
Air Freight Demand Contrasts with Dismal Passenger Traffic
IATA's latest traffic figures for September show encouraging demand for air freight, while Covid continues to blight passenger services.
A shortage of air freight capacity has prompted carriers to convert passenger aircraft into freighters, including this A321 operated by Qantas. (Photo: Airbus)
A shortage of air freight capacity has prompted carriers to convert passenger aircraft into freighters, including this A321 operated by Qantas. (Photo: Airbus)

Improving demand for air freight is compensating for still-declining passenger airline traffic, according to statistics for September published on Wednesday by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The group’s chief economist, Brian Pearce, warned that in regions such as Europe, where a second wave of Covid infections is escalating, more challenging business conditions have been seen throughout October and into early November.