Saudia Alibaba deal highlights cargo silver lining to pandemic slump for Mideast airlines

Saudia Alibaba deal highlights cargo silver lining to pandemic slump for Mideast airlines

DUBAI: Rising cargo volumes have emerged as one of the few positives for regional carriers as passenger numbers plummet amid the pandemic. Middle Eastern airlines posted a 6 percent rise in international cargo volumes in January 2021 versus 2019, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Cargo to Asia and North America routes, which grew 15. 1 percent and 13. 9 percent respectively - contributed the most to this growth, the IATA data showed. "If air cargo was not doing as well, the industry as a whole would be in even deeper trouble," said IATA chief Alexandre de Juniac during a presentation on Tuesday as the travel body also announced global air cargo recovery to pre-pandemic levels. The big Gulf carriers are increasingly looking to offset the devastating reduction in global passenger traffic by boosting their cargo operations. Demand for such cargo operations is on the rise as more people shop online on platforms such as Amazon and China's Alibaba. Last week, Saudia Cargo signed an agreement with the logistic arm of Alibaba to increase intercontinental e-commerce operations. The deal will support operations between China and Europe by operating five weekly flights from Hong Kong to Liege with the