FedEx maintained its position in 2015 as the top cargo airline by total freight tonnes carried on scheduled services, according to the International Air Transport Association’s 60th Edition of the World Air Transport Statistics (WATS).
The yearbook of the airline industry’s performance for last year, says the US cargo integrator handled 7.1 million tonnes of freight on scheduled services.
In second was UPS with 4.5 million tonnes. In third was Emirates Airline with 2.5 million, in fourth was Cathay Pacific Airways with 1.6 million and in fifth place was Korean Air with 1.5 million.
Total by freight tonne kilometres (FTK) was FedEx at 15,799 billion, Emirates, 12,157 billion, UPS 10,807 billion, Cathay Pacific 9,935 billion, Korean Air 7,761 billion, Qatar Airways 7,660 billion, Lufthansa 6,888 billion, Cargolux 6,309 billion, Singapore Airlines 6,083 billion and Air China 5,718 billion.
WATS also says globally, cargo markets showed a 2.3 per cent expansion in freight and mail tonne kilometers (FTKs). This outstripped a capacity increase of 5.8 per cent decreasing freight load factor by 1.6 percentage points.
In 2015, total FTKs reached 214,192 billion and capacity was 452,205 billion, leading to a load factor of 47.4 percentage points.
