Postal and air cargo sectors grow rapidly in first half of 2024

TDT | Manama

Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Kingdom of Bahrain recorded a significant number of postal transactions, amounting to 248,778 in the first half of this year. These transactions include express, regular, registered and postal parcels. Of particular note was the Barid Mumtaz (express) post with 17,457 transactions, while regular post had the majority with 160,465 transactions. Registered and postal parcels accounted for 59,650 and 11,206 transactions respectively.

In response to the growing e-commerce sector, Bahrain authorities are actively expanding the air cargo area at the new airport. The development is part of a strategic plan for Bahrain International Airport, which includes the construction of a 25,000 square metre air cargo area. The expansion is expected to significantly increase the airport’s capacity, allowing it to handle shipments weighing a total of 1.3 million tonnes per year.

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 significant improvement compared to the previous month’s results of 18.3%.

Airlines in the region benefited from growth in both the Middle East and Asia markets, which saw a 29.5% increase, and the Middle East and Europe markets, which saw a 46.1% increase.

Moreover, in January 2024, throughput increased by 17.1% compared to the same month last year.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports an 18.4% increase in global demand, measured in freight tons per kilometer, compared with the same period in 2023, with international operations seeing a 19.8% increase. Similarly, measured capacity increased by 14.6% in January 2024 compared with January 2023, with international operations up 18.2%.

Much of this growth is attributed to increased cargo capacity in aircraft fuselages. Notably, international passenger capacity increased by 25.8% per year, driven by booming travel markets.