According to the latest World Air Transport Statistics Report issued by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), FedEx, the express operator, has once again become the busiest cargo carrier in the world. Its cargo volume increased by 3.8% in 2018, reaching 17.5bn FTK.
Emirates ranked first among all pure cargo carriers, although demand remained flat, slightly higher than 12.7bn FTK. In view of the weakening market environment, the airline has shown its determination to rectify its fleet after reducing its dry-lease cargo aircraft from 15 to 11 over the past two years.
However, Qatar Airways continues to approach Emirates, expanding its fleet and network, with cargo volume growing by 15.4% to just below 12.7bn FTK. It ranks second in the airline growth rate list. The growth in freight volume helped Qatar jump to third place on the list. The airline has a clear ambition to become the world's largest cargo company. Despite the slowdown in the market, the pace of achieving this ambition in 2019 has not relaxed at all.
On the contrary, Etihad Cargo slipped six places to 25th, with freight volume falling 19.3% to 12.7bn FTK. The company says it has been busy readjusting its network strategy in recent years. Mohammed Abdul Shadid, general manager of freight and logistics, explained that, given the changing market environment, the airline apparently focused too much on creating global businesses and not enough on developing other key business areas, such as technology, and customers demanding improvements in business processes.
China International Airlines, China Southern Airlines and China Airlines are located at 9, 10 and 13, respectively.
Top 25 in the world
Note: FTK is the abbreviation of Freight Ton Kilometer, indicating the turnover of goods. It is a term used in the transportation industry, usually in tons of kilometers, tons of nautical miles, etc.
