IATA: demand for air cargo rose 4% in April
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data for April 2026 showing that global demand for air cargo rose 4% year-on-year, while capacity fell slightly. Growth was driven mainly by trade flows linked to Asia, though the overall picture is complicated by disrupted routes through the Middle East due to the war there.
According to IATA data, total air cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs), rose 4.0% year-on-year in April, with international carriers also posting 4.0% growth. Capacity, tracked as available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTKs), fell by 0.4%, and by 0.9% for international operations.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh said the four percent year-on-year rise in demand was driven mainly by strong trade flows linked to Asia. At the same time, he noted that the favourable headline figure masks a more complex operational reality, as serious disruption at key Gulf hubs caused by the war in the Middle East continues to reshape trade routes and constrain capacity on important corridors.
Walsh added that much of the growth is being handled primarily by dedicated freighter aircraft, and that air cargo is once again helping keep supply chains running despite trade turbulence. He said the coming months will show how well the industry can cope with persistent geopolitical uncertainty and higher operating costs.
IATA also points to the broader economic backdrop. Global trade fell 2.1% month-on-month in March after four consecutive months of growth, which the association says confirms how sensitive trade dynamics are to geopolitical shocks.
The report also notes a sharp rise in fuel costs: jet fuel prices climbed 121.1% year-on-year in April, while oil prices rose 77.7%. By contrast, global manufacturing sentiment stayed in growth territory in April and even improved compared with March – the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose 1.9 points to 53.4, and the new export orders sub-index reached 50.2 points, above the 50-point threshold separating growth from contraction.
- Demand (CTK)
- +4.0% y/y
- Capacity (ACTK)
- -0.4% y/y
- Jet fuel price
- +121.1% y/y
- Oil price
- +77.7% y/y
- PMI (manufacturing)
- 53.4 points up 1.9 points
- PMI new export orders
- 50.2 points
Performance by region
- Asia-Pacific: demand +10.5% y/y, the strongest growth of all regions, capacity +5.3%.
- North America: demand +5.0% y/y, capacity +1.2%.
- Europe: demand +6.0% y/y, capacity +3.0%.
- Middle East: demand -18.2% y/y, the weakest performance of all regions, capacity down 22.9%.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: demand -2.8% y/y, while capacity rose 1.2%.
- Africa: demand +7.7% y/y, but capacity fell 9.4%.
According to IATA, trade route performance varied significantly in April. The Africa-Asia route grew the most, followed by Asia-Europe, while intra-Asia trade also performed strongly. By contrast, routes linked to the Gulf were, according to the association, seriously disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The source does not provide specific growth figures for individual trade routes.
In its notes to editors, IATA points out that it represents over 370 airlines accounting for around 85% of global air traffic, and that the statistics cover both international and domestic scheduled cargo traffic of member and non-member airlines.
By share of total cargo traffic in 2025 measured in CTKs, Asia-Pacific led with 35.8%, followed by North America with 24.6% and Europe with 21.4%. The Middle East held a 13.2% share, Latin America and the Caribbean 2.9%, and Africa 2.1%.