The CEOs of several major air cargo operators in recent weeks conveyed an optimistic outlook for 2023, yet they also acknowledged that the year will not likely yield the bumper performance the sector realized in 2021 and 2022.
Global air cargo volumes, yields, load factor, and revenues will all decline in 2023, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s latest forecast released in December. The group expects air cargo volumes measured by cargo tonne kilometers (CTKs) to fall by 4 percent year-over-year in 2023, following an 8 percent year-over-year drop in 2022. “The softer outlook for the global macroeconomy, along with international trade, is presenting headwinds to air cargo,” noted Andrew Matters, IATA’s head of policy analysis. “Things that are exerting a bit of a drag in terms of cargo volumes include the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, global [economic] growth slowdown, higher inflation, higher interest rates, and the higher cost of living,” he said.
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