IATA: Air Cargo Connectivity Enhances Global Trade Participation

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released a study identifying a quantitative link between a country’s air cargo connectivity and its participation in global trade. A 1% increase in air cargo connectivity was associated with a 6.3% increase in a country’s total trade. “Air cargo is key in supporting the current global trading system. In 2015, airlines transported 52.2 million metric tons of goods, representing about 35% of global trade by value. That is equivalent to US $5.6 trillion worth of goods annually, or US $15.3 billion worth of goods every day. We now have quantitative evidence of the important