Global airlines see further signs of improvement in the freight market in a potentially positive sign for the world economy, a senior economist at airlines association IATA said. “The freight market is looking up,” Andrew Matters told the Istat Europe air finance conference on Monday. The International Air Transport Association, representing about 200 airlines, is due to issue a detailed freight report in the coming weeks. Air cargo, responsible for about 40 percent of global trade by value, is widely seen as a barometer for trade and business confidence.