Revenue at IAG Cargo increased by seven per cent in the third quarter of 2018 with demand for premium products proving strong.

Third quarter cargo revenue was up to €290 million, with yields measured in CTK rising 8.1 per cent to €20.44.

When releasing results for the IAG group, it says demand in Asia Pacific was strong while the Constant Climate and Critical products were singled out as having performed particularly well.

For the first nine months of the year, cargo revenue was up 4.7 per cent to €847 million with cargo revenue per CTK increasing 5.4 per cent €20.21.

IAG Cargo chief executive officer, Lynne Embleton says: “The recently announced service to Pittsburgh will bring the total number of US gateways served by IAG Cargo to 26. From April 2019, this service will be the only direct flight between Pittsburgh and the UK, a reflection of our commitment to expanding our network reach to wherever our customers need it.”

She says IAG Cargo is committed to innovation and digitisation having announced the finalists for the Hangar 51 accelerator programme.

Embleton says: “This year is the first year we have had a cargo specific category, and we are collaborating with several highly innovative start ups over the coming months and discovering how they can help us to advance the cargo industry.”

Looking ahead, Embleton says: “Going into the final months of 2018 our focus remains on investing in our operations and delivering an excellent service for our customers over the busiest period in the air cargo calendar.”