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Red Sea attacks and ecommerce boost Middle East air cargo

middle east air cargo Getty Images/Unsplash
In 2024 airlines moved more air cargo than ever before, thanks to a rise in ecommerce and sea route disruptions
  • Global air cargo up 11%
  • Middle East rises by 13%
  • Yields 39% up on 2019

Strong ecommerce growth and attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have resulted in a 13 percent rise in air cargo shipments in the Middle East.

The International Air Transport Association said global air cargo demand increased by 11.3 percent last year. 

The Middle East overperformed with 14 percent growth, while European carriers reported 11.2 percent growth and North American airlines carried 6.6 percent more cargo.

“Air cargo was the standout performer in 2024, with airlines moving more air cargo than ever before,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general.

“While average yields continued to soften from peaks in 2021-2022, they averaged 39 percent higher than 2019,” he said. 

IATA said demand was boosted globally by strong ecommerce, and by ocean shipping restrictions, but airspace restrictions limited capacity on some key long-haul routes to Asia. 

It said global events such as the Ukraine war and Middle East conflicts restricted airspace and increased fuel costs.

Ecommerce is booming globally, said John Grant, a partner at the UK consultancy Midas Aviation and an AGBI columnist, especially in emergent markets such as Central Asia and some parts of Africa. 

“Ecommerce activity needs to move relatively quickly and so shipping is not an option, and that certainly plays to using the Middle East hubs as transit points,” Grant said. 

“This is especially the case for stuff flowing from Northeast Asia and China to Europe, where some of the historic and more conventional flow over Russian airspace is not permitted for some airlines and specialist cargo operators.”

In October Saudi Arabia said the disruption to the key Middle East shipping route resulted in a 53 percent year-on-year rise in air cargo shipments.

The Dubai carrier Emirates airline took delivery of two Boeing 747 freighters this month to increase capacity and meet growing demand for its cargo service.

Grant said the outlook for 2025 “is just as strong”. 

“If there is any further pick up in the global economy then the Middle East will benefit even further. Ultimately, though, it will all be about ecommerce and trade,” he said.