July showed an improvement in air cargo for Europe, according to figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Global freight tonne kilometres (FTKs) grew by 1.2 per cent in year-on-year comparisons for July, higher than the 0.9 per cent rise in June. FTKs in Europe went up by 1.5 per cent, ahead of the global average.

Capacity for July also increased by 3.4 per cent when compared to a year ago. For Europe, this was an improvement of 3.5 per cent.

Tony Tyler, director general and chief executive officer for IATA, said: "The growth is encouraging, particularly in Europe. However, it is premature to say that air cargo may be emerging from the doldrums of the past 18 months."

Mr Tyler also considered a weaker performance in Asia-Pacific markets as a reason for caution. While capacity rose by 2.6 per cent, demand for cargo fell by 1.4 per cent.

IATA also expressed concern for Europe, claiming results varied between different countries. Overall, however, the association reports that FTKs went up by 0.2 per cent, using year-on-year figures, for the first eight months of this year.