IATA - International Air Transport Association

06/29/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/29/2026 05:44

Air Cargo Demand up 6.0% in May

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

  • Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), increased by 6.0% compared to May 2025 levels (6.5% for international operations).
  • Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 1.9% compared to May 2025 (2.8% for international operations).

"Air cargo demand grew 6% year-on-year in May, with Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North American regions all reporting above trend growth. Carriers in the Middle East, however, reported a combined contraction of 8.9% year-on-year as war-related impacts continued.

May's strong performance coupled with macro-economic factors give cautious optimism for air cargo's prospects over the remainder of the year. Trade and manufacturing output are both growing. Airlines have adapted operations to align with shifting demand patterns and supply chain needs. Meanwhile, yield growth and higher load factors are helping to recoup higher fuel costs. It's still a tough year, particularly as Middle East uncertainties weigh heavily on parts of the industry, but robust demand and airline resilience are clear," said Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General.

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:

  • Global trade increased by 5.0% year-on-year, extending 25 months of consecutive annual growth.
  • Jet fuel prices fell by 16.3% month-on-month in May but remained 93.5% above year-earlier levels.
  • Global manufacturing activity remained supportive in May, but export orders weakened. The Global Manufacturing Output Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 53.5, while the New Export Orders Index stayed below the 50-mark at 49.6, suggesting air cargo growth was supported by selected trade flows rather than a broad-based rise in global exports.

Air Cargo Market in Detail - May 2026

May 2026 (%year-on-year) World Share *1 CTK ACTK CLF (%-pt) *2 CLF (level) *3
Total Market 100% 6.0% 1.9% 1.8 46.3%
Africa 2.1% 13.3% 1.3% 5.0 46.9%
Asia-Pacific 35.8% 8.0% 5.1% 1.3 47.7%
Europe 21.4% 6.7% 2.2% 2.3 53.9%
Latin America and Caribbean 2.9% 1.9% 5.6% -1.2 34.8%
Middle East 13.2% -8.9% -9.2% 0.2 46.5%
North America 24.6% 10.5% 2.4% 3.0 41.0%

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

May Regional Performance

Asia-Pacific airlines saw an 8.0% year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in May. Capacity increased by 5.1% year-on-year.

North American carriers saw a 10.5% year-on-year increase in air cargo demand in May. Capacity increased by 2.4% year-on-year.

European carriers saw a 6.7% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in May. Capacity increased by 2.2% year-on-year.

Middle Eastern carriers saw an 8.9% year-on-year decrease in demand for air cargo in May, the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity decreased by 9.2% year-on-year.

Latin American and Caribbean carriers saw a 1.9% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in May. Capacity increased by 5.6% year-on-year.

African airlines saw a 13.3% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in May, the strongest performance of all regions. Capacity increased by 1.3% year-on-year.

Trade Lane Growth


Air cargo performance diverged across major trade lanes in May. Asia-North America led growth followed by Africa-Asia, intra-Europe, and Europe-Asia. In contrast, Gulf-linked corridors were still severely disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Trade Lane YoY growth Notes Market share of industry*
Africa-Asia +14.1% 11 consecutive months of growth 1.3%
Asia-North America +19.9% 4 consecutive months of growth 23.5%
Europe-Asia +10.0% 39 consecutive months of growth 21.5%
Europe-Middle East -19.8% 3 consecutive months of contraction 5.2%
Europe-North America +0.4% 1 month of growth 13.5%
Middle East-Asia -16.5% 3 consecutive months of contraction 7.4%
Within Asia +5.5% 31 consecutive months of growth 7.3%
Within Europe +11.5% 4 consecutive months of growth 1.9%

*Share is based on full-year 2025 CTKs.

> View May 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 370 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 35.8%, Europe 21.4%, North America 24.6%, Middle East 13.2%, Latin America and Caribbean 2.9%, and Africa 2.1%.
IATA - International Air Transport Association published this content on June 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 29, 2026 at 11:44 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]