The Stifel Logistics Confidence Index saw a marginal month-on-month improvement in air freight confidence in its May results with Index gained 0.4 points for a total index score of 50.0. This result is 9.5 points below that for May 2015, and 5.7 points lower than in May 2014.

The present situation results rose by 1.2 points to 47.2. This was chiefly derived from a 3.2 point gain in the Europe to Asia lane, which was nonetheless the poorest performing of the lanes at 42.1. Two of the other three lanes noted gains, with Asia to Europe the exception, amounting to 44.4 after declining by 1.0 points. Europe to US continued as the strongest lane, rising 1.5 points to 54.5. US to Europe gained 1.2 points to 48.4.

In the expected outlook, the results by lane were almost unanimously negative, aside from a 0.1 point gain on the Europe to Asia lane. Asia to Europe fell the furthest, with a 1.3 point decline to 51.3. Meanwhile Europe to US declined by 0.5 points to 55.3, and US to Europe lost 0.7 points to 54.2.

Global freight tonne kilometers (FTKs) declined by 2.0 per cent compared to the previous year. This was despite capacity growth of 6.9 per cent, as measured in available freight tonne kilometers (AFTKs).

Nonetheless, there were positives. Despite the tragic events in Brussels, Airports Council International (ACI) reported that freight traffic across Europe was up by 2.1 per cent in Q1 2016, when compared to the corresponding period during the previous year. IATA saw FTK growth of 1.3 per cent in Europe during the same period, with the Middle East also improving, by 2.4 per cent.

Nonetheless, the largest region by market share, Asia Pacific, saw FTK declines of 5.2 per cent throughout the same period. North American FTKs also contracted, by 1.8 per cent.