IATA - International Air Transport Association

03/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/02/2026 05:01

Air Cargo Demand up 5.6% in January 2026

Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for January 2026 global air cargo markets showing:

  • Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose by 5.6% compared to January 2025 levels (+7.2% for international operations).
  • Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 3.6% compared to January 2025 (+5.7% for international operations).

"The demand for air cargo had a robust start to 2026, recording 5.6% year-on-year growth in January. At the regional level, the story is more polarized. Carriers in Africa, Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Europe all reported faster growth than the global average. In contrast, carriers in the Americas reported aggregate contractions.

The resilience of air cargo will continue to be tested in the coming months. In addition to the long-running uncertainties of evolving US trade policies, the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East will both weigh heavy on global supply chains. Addressing these topics will add extra importance to discussions at the upcoming World Cargo Symposium in Lima, Peru (10-12 March 2026) where strengthening air cargo's adaptability and efficiency through digitalization and other measures will be a key focus," said Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General.

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:

  • The global goods trade grew by 4.9% year-on-year in December 2025.
  • Jet fuel prices decreased by 6.5% year-on-year in January.
  • Global manufacturing sentiment strengthened in January, with the global Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rising above the 50-point expansion threshold to 51.8, its highest level in over a year and a half. The PMI for new export orders climbed to 49.9, slightly below the growth threshold but the highest in 10 months, reflecting mixed but cautiously optimistic industrial growth.

Air Cargo Market in Detail - January 2026

January 2026 (%year-on-year) World Share *1 CTK ACTK CLF (%-pt) *2 CLF (level) *3
Total Market 100% 5.6% 3.6% 0.9 45.1%
Africa 2.1% 18.2% 6.5% 4.3 43.5%
Asia Pacific 35.9% 7.8% 3.3% 1.9 45.3%
Europe 21.4% 6.9% 4.9% 1.0 54.1%
Latin America and Caribbean 2.9% -2.0% 2.3% -1.4 32.0%
Middle East 13.2% 9.3% 9.9% -0.2 40.6%
North America 24.5% -0.5% -0.2% -0.1 43.3%

(*1) % of industry CTK in 2025 (*2) Year-on-year change in load factor (*3) Load factor level

January Regional Performance

Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 7.8% year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in January, maintaining the region's role as the primary engine of the industry expansion. Capacity increased by 3.3% year-on-year.

North American carriers saw a 0.5% year-on-year decline for air cargo demand in January. North America was the only region showing a capacity decrease, slightly declining by 0.2% year-on-year.

European airlines saw a 6.9% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in January. Capacity increased 4.9% year-on-year.

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 9.3% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in January. Capacity increased by 9.9% year-on-year, the strongest rise of all regions.

Latin American and Caribbean carriers saw a 2.0% year-on-year decrease in demand for air cargo in January, the weakest performance of all regions. Meanwhile, capacity increased by 2.3% year-on-year.

African airlines saw a 18.2% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in January, the strongest growth of all regions. Capacity increased by 6.5% year-on-year.

Trade Lane Growth

Air freight volumes in January 2026 increased across most major trade corridors, with the notable exception of the Asia-North America route area.

Trade Lane YoY growth Notes Market share of industry*
Africa-Asia +41.6% 7 consecutive months of growth 1.3%
Asia-North America -0.6% 1 month of decline 23.4%
Europe-Asia +15.2% 35 consecutive months of growth 21.5%
Europe-Middle East +10.2% 1 month of growth 5.2%
Europe-North America +3.8% 24 consecutive months of growth 13.5%
Middle East-Asia +12.9% 11 consecutive months of growth 7.4%
Within Asia +14.3% 27 consecutive months of growth 7.3%
Within Europe +1.0% 2 consecutive months of growth 1.9%

*Share is based on full-year 2025 CTKs.

> View January 2026 Air Cargo Market Analysis (pdf)

For more information, please contact:

Corporate CommunicationsTel: +41 22 770 2967Email: [email protected]

Notes for Editors:

  • IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents over 360 airlines accounting for some 85% of global air traffic.
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  • Explanation of measurement terms:
    • CTK: cargo tonne-kilometres measures actual cargo traffic
    • ACTK: available cargo tonne-kilometres measures available total cargo capacity
    • CLF: cargo load factor is % of ACTKs used
  • IATA statistics cover international and domestic scheduled air cargo for IATA member and non-member airlines.
  • Total cargo traffic market share (2025) by region of carriers in terms of CTK is: Asia-Pacific 35.9%, Europe 21.4%, North America 24.5%, Middle East 13.2%, Latin America and Caribbean 2.9%, and Africa 2.1%.
IATA - International Air Transport Association published this content on March 02, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 02, 2026 at 11:01 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]