Air Cargo's Low Altitude: Positive signs for the air cargo industry may not signal a full recovery

摘要

Airline profits have been described as moving from razor thin to paper thin; not the language of a resounding recovery. Air cargo volumes are mixed, but showing some slow recovery and regional strength. Capacity utilization remains low, ahead of the holiday shopping and shipping season. The U.S. year in review showed 2012 lagging 2.4 percent behind 2011 in revenue ton miles (RTM), according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The reduction was attributed to slower growth in the Chinese economy and also to the European debt crisis, resulting in a 3.6 percent decline to 24.3 billion RTM. During the same period, there was little momentum in domestic cargo RTMs, which increased by 0.1 percent to 12 billion.