Global Air Cargo Demand Rises 3.9% in July 2026: IATA Report
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that global air cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers, rose by 3.9% in July 2026 compared with the same month a year earlier. According to the industry body, capacity increased by 1.7% year-on-year, while international operations saw demand growth of 4.7% and capacity growth of 1.8%.
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IATA’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Chief Economist, Marie Owens Thomsen, said that all regions recorded growth, with airlines in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America contributing more than 90% of the overall increase. She noted that dedicated freighters gained market share as belly-hold traffic declined, possibly reflecting demand for larger or specialist shipments and the operational flexibility freighters provide. The outlook remains broadly positive, supported by manufacturing activity, export orders, and global trade, but higher fuel prices, geopolitical tensions, and tariff uncertainty need careful monitoring.
Global trade increased by 7.5% year-on-year. Jet fuel prices rose by 12.2% month-on-month in July and were 56.9% higher than a year earlier. The Global Manufacturing Output Purchasing Managers’ Index fell 0.3 points to 52.7, while the New Export Orders Index rose to 50.0, both broadly supportive of air cargo demand.
Regional performance varied: North American carriers saw the strongest demand growth at 4.8%, followed by Europe at 4.4%, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean at 4.1% each, the Middle East at 1.7%, and Africa at 1.1%, the weakest. Capacity changes ranged from a 7.0% increase in Latin America and the Caribbean to a 1.5% decrease in North America.
Among major trade lanes, Asia–North America recorded the strongest growth at 9.2%, with six consecutive months of expansion. Europe–Asia grew 3.1% (41 consecutive months), Europe–North America grew 2.1% (three consecutive months), and within Asia grew 6.1% (33 consecutive months). In contrast, Europe–Middle East contracted 16.1% and Middle East–Asia contracted 14.1%, both for five consecutive months, reflecting disruptions from the conflict in the Middle East.
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