Airfreight traffic between Brazil and the Middle East has expanded by 60 per cent, according to the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. Air cargo shipment rose from 2,200 tonnes in 2006 to 3,400 tonnes last year.
To the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country to which Brazil got a direct flight in October, shipments have grown even more, 169 per cent, from771 tonnes to 2,000 tonnes.
"It was already expected for this to happen," stated Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce president Antonio Sarkis Jr.
In terms of value, exports by air to the UAE grew 127 per cent between 2006 and 2007, from US$22 million to US$52 million while shipments to the League of Arab States posted a slight reduction, down 4 per cent from US$ 421 million to US$ 404 million.
The Chamber of Commerce believes that the growth in volume above the growth in revenues is due to the inclusion of lower value-added products in air shipment in recent months. Th is may be a result of the greater availability of aerial transport, with the inauguration of the direct Emirates flight between São Paulo and Dubai, in October.