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Air Freight Growth Seen Slowing Sharply in 2005
By REUTERS
Published: December 29, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-airlines-growth.html

Reuters provides good statistical information often better than the other Services:

IATA, the Geneva-and Montreal-based International Air Transport Association, said cargo carried by its 265 member airlines by the end of November was only 2.8 percent up on the first 11 months of 2004.
This figure, which industry analysts said could be boosted slightly by December traffic as companies rushed to meet holiday period orders, contrasted with the 15.8 percent freight growth for the whole of last year compared to 2003.
In October, the World Trade Organization said that by the end of this year global goods trade would have grown by only 6.5 percent year on year, down from the 9 percent growth of 2004. It also recorded a slowdown in the IT sector.
IATA said that in January-November 2005, passenger traffic on international routes grew by 7.7 percent over the same period last year. With December traffic likely to provide a small boost, the full-year figure was expected to be 7.8 percent.

They present a better economic sense than does the Airline industry. The industry is not going to become profitable through increase in traffic or Trade; this condition due to the reality of Air traffic congestion, Airport congestion without the ability to expand facilities or produce added Airports, and the incapacity to multiply the Air lanes through which Commercial traffic flies. Simple increase in Ticket pricing will adversely affect Consumer use.

It is time to consider Boarding Pass charges and Pick-up charges for receipt of freight. They possess the capability to be increased and decreased on momentary notice to respond to Fuel Costs, without hampering the Processes involved. Other alternatives will not fulfill Airline guarantees of Service, or pay for the Fuel bill. lgl