Global Air Cargo Demand Rises 5.6 Pct In January -- IATA

KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 (Bernama) -- Total demand of global air cargo, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), rose by 5.6 per cent in January 2026, compared with January 2025 levels (7.2 per cent for international operations), according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTK), increased by 3.6 per cent versus January 2025 (5.7 per cent for international operations).

“The demand for air cargo had a robust start to 2026, recording 5.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in January. At the regional level, the story is more polarised. Carriers in Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Europe all reported faster growth than the global average," said IATA in a statement.

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In contrast, it noted carriers in the Americas reported aggregate contractions and that the resilience of air cargo would continue to be tested in the coming months.  The long-running uncertainties of evolving US trade policies and the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East would weigh heavily on global supply chains, it said. 

"Addressing these topics will add extra importance to discussions at the upcoming World Cargo Symposium in Lima, Peru (March 10-12, 2026), where strengthening air cargo’s adaptability and efficiency through digitalisation and other measures will be a key focus," said IATA’s director general, Willie Walsh. 

He said several factors in the operating environment should be noted, namely the higher global goods trade, which grew 4.9 per cent y-o-y in December 2025, and the decrease in jet fuel prices by 6.5 per cent y-o-y in January 2026.

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Global manufacturing sentiment strengthened in January, with the global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rising to 51.8, its highest level in over 18 months, while the PMI for new export orders improved to 49.9, the highest in 10 months, signalling cautiously optimistic industrial growth despite remaining below the expansion threshold.

Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 7.8 per cent y-o-y growth in air cargo demand in January, maintaining the region’s role as the primary engine of the industry expansion. Capacity increased by 3.3 per cent.

Air freight volumes in January 2026 increased across most major trade corridors, with the notable exception of the Asia-North America route area.

IATA represents over 360 airlines accounting for some 85 per cent of global air traffic.

-- BERNAMA