IATA - International Air Transport Association

04/29/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/29/2026 05:39

Middle East Disruption Impacts Cargo Markets, Demand Falls 4.8% in March

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

  • Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), fell by 4.8% compared to March 2025 levels (-5.5% for international operations).
  • Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), decreased by 4.7% compared to March 2025 (-6.8% for international operations).

"Air cargo demand fell 4.8% in March compared to the previous year. This was mostly due to severe disruptions at major Gulf hubs due to war in the Middle East. The timing of the usual post-Lunar New Year slowdown also added to the decline. The underlying demand trends, at this point, appear strong and the recent World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund revisions to trade and GDP projections continue to see growth in 2026. Importantly, air cargo networks are providing the flexibility needed to support global supply chains as they adjust to geopolitical, tariff, and operational strains. All eyes are on fuel supply and price, which are expected to test the industry's resilience in the coming months," said Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General.

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:

  • Global industrial production grew by 3.1% year-on-year in February, marking the 38th consecutive month of expansion. The global goods trade rose by 8.0% year-on-year in February.
  • Jet fuel prices rose sharply in March, up 106.6% year-on-year, alongside a 43.1% increase in crude oil prices and a 320% surge in refining margins.
  • Global manufacturing sentiment remained in growth territory in March, easing slightly from February. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 51.4. The PMI for new export orders was 50.1-both above the 50-point expansion threshold-signaling positive conditions for air cargo demand.

Air Cargo Market in Detail - March 2026

March 2026 (%year-on-year) World Share *1 CTK ACTK CLF (%-pt) *2 CLF (level) *3
Total Market 100% -4.8% -4.7% -0.1 47.9%
Africa 2.1% 7.0% -4.6% 5.4 49.6%
Asia Pacific 36.0% 5.4% 5.0% 0.2 48.9%
Europe 21.3% 2.2% 4.2% -1.1 59.9%
Latin America and Caribbean 2.9% 1.8% 5.1% -1.3 38.3%
Middle East 13.2% -54.3% -52.4% -1.9 45.7%
North America 24.5% -1.2% -1.1% 0.0 40.6%

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

March Regional Performance

Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 5.4% year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in March. Capacity increased by 5.0% year-on-year.

North American carriers saw a 1.2% year-on-year decrease in air cargo demand in March. Capacity decreased by 1.1% year-on-year.

European carriers saw a 2.2% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in March. Capacity increased by 4.2% year-on-year.

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 54.3% year-on-year decrease in demand for air cargo in March, the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity decreased by 52.4% year-on-year.

Latin American and Caribbean carriers saw a 1.8% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in March. Capacity increased by 5.1% year-on-year.

African airlines saw a 7.0% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in March, the strongest rise of all regions. Capacity decreased by 4.6% year-on-year.

Trade Lane Growth

Air cargo performance diverged across major trade lanes in March. Africa-Asia led growth followed by Asia-Europe, with intra-Asia also holding strong on regional trade. In contrast, Gulf-linked corridors were severely disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Trade Lane YoY growth Notes Market share of industry*
Africa-Asia +22.6% 9 consecutive months of growth 1.3%
Asia-North America +0.8% 2 consecutive months of growth 23.4%
Europe-Asia +14.2% 37 consecutive months of growth 21.5%
Europe-Middle East -57.6% 1 month of contraction 5.2%
Europe-North America -3.4% 1 month of contraction 13.5%
Middle East-Asia -58.6% 1 month of contraction 7.4%
Within Asia +7.5% 29 consecutive months of growth 7.3%
Within Europe +2.3% 2 consecutive months of growth 1.9%

*Share is based on full-year 2025 CTKs.

> View March 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 36.0%, Europe 21.3%, 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 April 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 29, 2026 at 11:39 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]