The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has confirmed that air cargo traffic grew again in February 2013, building on the modest upturn seen in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Seasonally adjusted freight volumes were up by 2.5 per cent when compared with October 2012 and there was also a two per cent improvement on February 2012 (once last year's leap year and Chinese New Year disruptions were taken into account).

IATA director general and chief executive officer Tony Tyler said the gradual growth is encouraging, but he has urged the industry not to get too carried away.

"Events in Cyprus have reminded us that the eurozone crisis is far from over. Any resulting loss of business confidence could shift the outlook for the worse," he remarked.

While there was strong growth in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa, there were noticeable declines in air cargo deliveries across Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region during the month, which shows that the sector is still decidedly shaky in some parts of the world.