Postal and Air Cargo Sectors Surge In The First Half of 2024

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

The Kingdom of Bahrain has witnessed a considerable volume of postal transactions, amounting to 248,778 in the first half of this year. These transactions span express mail, regular mail, registered mail, and postal parcels. Of particular note, Barid Mumtaz (Express) mail recorded 17,457 transactions, whereas regular mail held the majority share with 160,465 transactions. Registered mail and postal parcels accounted for 59,650 and 11,206 transactions, respectively.

In response to the burgeoning e-commerce sector, Bahrain's authorities are actively expanding the air cargo area at the new airport. This development forms part of a strategic plan for Bahrain International Airport, which includes the construction of a 25,000-square-metre air cargo area. This expansion is intended to significantly enhance the airport's capacity, enabling it to handle shipments totalling 1.3 million tonnes annually.

Middle Eastern airlines have demonstrated remarkable performance, achieving a 25.9% year-on-year increase in air cargo volumes since January 2024. This figure represents a notable improvement on the previous month's performance of 18.3%.

Airlines in the region have capitalised on growth in both the Middle Eastern and Asian markets, which saw a 29.5% increase, and the Middle Eastern and European markets, which observed a 46.1% increase.

Furthermore, capacity rose by 17.1% in January 2024 compared to the same month last year.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports an 18.4% rise in global demand, measured by freight tonnes per kilometre, compared to the same period in 2023, with international operations seeing a 19.8% increase. Capacity, measured similarly, grew by 14.6% in January 2024 compared to January 2023, with international operations rising by 18.2%.

This growth is largely attributed to increased cargo capacity in aircraft fuselages. Notably, international passenger capacity saw a 25.8% annual increase, driven by thriving traveller markets.