The Association of European Airlines has released its traffic statistics for 2006. After a static year in 2005, the airfreight market staged a modest recovery with a plus 2.4 per cent in total freight tonne kilometres for the period January - December 2006 reaching 36.367 million.

Over three-quarters of traffic was carried on the two main North Atlantic and Asian trade routes.

In December 2006, traffic declined slightly, with total freight tonne kilometres down 0.9 per cent.

"We are not an industry in a state of runaway expansion, as some commentators would claim. Load factor improvements are a measure of the increasing efficiency with which we use our resources," said Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus, AEA's Secretary General.