Staff Writer
Global air cargo demand continued its strong growth in June 2026, increasing by 8.5% compared to the same month last year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The association said demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), outpaced the 4.4% increase in available cargo capacity, indicating that airlines continued to experience robust demand for freight services.
International cargo operations recorded even stronger growth, with demand rising by 9.6% year-on-year and capacity increasing by 4.9%.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh said air cargo demand expanded across all regions during the month, with North America making the largest contribution to global growth.
“Air cargo demand grew 8.5% year-on-year in June. While North America was the strongest contributor to growth, demand in all regions was in positive territory compared to last year,”Walsh said.
He noted that demand grew faster than both available capacity and global trade, supported by shipments of high-value technology products and urgent freight.
Walsh, however, cautioned that risks remain for the second half of 2026, including ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the possibility of renewed United States tariff measures.
Global trade increased by 5.2% year-on-year during the period. IATA also reported that jet fuel prices fell by 20% from May to June, although they remained 45.8% higher than a year earlier.
Manufacturing activity slowed slightly during June but continued to support air cargo demand. The Global Manufacturing Output Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) eased to 53.0, while the New Export Orders Index remained below the 50-point threshold for a fourth consecutive month at 49.4, suggesting that cargo growth was driven by specific trade routes rather than broad-based export expansion.
Regionally, North American airlines recorded the strongest growth, with cargo demand rising 13.1% year-on-year and capacity increasing by 6.2%.
Asia-Pacific carriers posted a 7.9% increase in cargo demand, while capacity grew by 4.3%.
European airlines recorded a 6.9% increase in demand and a 3.7% rise in capacity.
Middle Eastern carriers reported demand growth of 5.6% and capacity growth of 2.5%, although IATA noted that the comparison was against a weak June 2025 when military conflict disrupted operations in the region.
Latin American and Caribbean airlines recorded the slowest growth among all regions, with cargo demand increasing by 3.5% while capacity expanded by 9.8%.
African airlines posted a 4.7% increase in cargo demand despite a 7.1% decline in cargo capacity during the month.
