Global air freight demand up 6.9 percent in January: IATA

[March 06, 2017]  (Reuters) - Demand for global air freight, measured in freight tonne kilometers, rose 6.9 percent in January thanks to growth in Europe and the Middle East, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Monday.

Demand in Europe and the Middle East rose by 8.7 and 8.4 percent, respectively, in January.

"Demand growth accelerated in January, bolstered by strengthening export orders. And that outpaced the capacity growth which should be positive for yields," IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said in a statement.

Available capacity rose 3.5 percent in the month, meaning that load factors rose by 1.3 percentage points to 42.1 percent, IATA said.

(Reporting by Bartosz Dabrowski; Editing by Maria Sheahan)

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