By André Orban.
Photo Credit: iStock.
Global air cargo demand continued its strong momentum in June 2026, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reporting an 8.5% year-on-year increase in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs), while available cargo capacity grew by 4.4%.
The stronger demand pushed the global cargo load factor up by 1.7 percentage points to 46.9%, indicating that demand continued to outpace capacity.
According to IATA, growth was recorded across all regions, with North American airlines posting the strongest performance.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, said the figures provide reasons for optimism for the second half of 2026, although geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and renewed US tariff concerns remain potential risks.
North American carriers led the market with 13.1% growth in cargo demand, followed by Asia-Pacific airlines at 7.9% and European carriers at 6.9%. Airlines in the Middle East reported 5.6% growth, although IATA noted that the comparison is influenced by the weak performance recorded in June 2025 during regional military disruptions.
African airlines recorded a 4.7% increase despite a 7.1% reduction in cargo capacity, while Latin American and Caribbean carriers saw the slowest growth at 3.5%, with capacity expanding by 9.8%.
Global trade remained supportive of the air cargo market, increasing by 5.2% year-on-year. IATA said demand was particularly driven by shipments of high-value technology products and time-sensitive freight rather than broad-based export growth.
Manufacturing activity remained positive, although export orders weakened for the fourth consecutive month.
Among the major trade lanes, Asia–North America recorded the strongest growth, followed by within Asia, Europe–Asia, and Africa–Asia. In contrast, cargo flows linked to the Gulf region continued to be affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Despite a 20% month-on-month decline in jet fuel prices during June, fuel costs remained 45.8% higher than a year earlier, underlining the continued cost pressures facing cargo operators. IATA expects air freight to remain resilient during the remainder of the year, provided geopolitical and trade-related uncertainties do not escalate further.