Global air cargo demand rose 4% year on year in April despite geopolitical disruption, less capacity and sharply higher fuel costs.
This is according to the latest market update data released by the International Air Transport Association (Iata) for April 2026.
Total capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres, fell 0.4% compared with April 2025, while international capacity declined 0.9%.
Strong Asia-linked trade flows had driven growth during the month, said Iata director general Willie Walsh.
“But this positive news masks a more complex operating environment. Severe disruption at major Gulf hubs due to the war in the Middle East continued to reshape trade routes and constrain capacity on key corridors. With dedicated freighters carrying much of the growth, air cargo is once again keeping supply chains moving amid trade disruptions.”
Jet fuel prices surged 121.1% year on year in April, while crude oil prices rose 77.7%, significantly increasing operating costs for airlines and freight operators.
“The coming months will test how well the sector can absorb continued geopolitical uncertainty and elevated operating costs,” Walsh said.
Air cargo performance diverged across major trade lanes in April. Africa-Asia routes led growth, followed by Asia-Europe trade lanes, while intra-Asia demand remained strong on the back of regional manufacturing and export activity. Gulf-linked corridors, however, remained heavily affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Middle Eastern carriers' cargo demand plunged 18.2% as regional conflict continued to disrupt major aviation hubs and key trade corridors. Capacity in the region fell sharply by 22.9%.
The strongest regional growth came from Asia-Pacific carriers, which recorded a 10.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in cargo demand, supported by robust Asia-Europe and intra-Asia trade flows. Capacity in the region increased by 5.3%.
African airlines recorded a 7.7% y-o-y increase in cargo demand in April, despite a 9.4% decline in capacity.
The reduction in available capacity pushed Africa’s cargo load factor up by 7.8 percentage points to 49.1%, above the global average of 46%, indicating tighter use of available cargo capacity in the region.
However, Africa remains a small part of the global air cargo market, with African airlines accounting for only 2.1% of global cargo tonne-kilometres. The region’s growth was strong, but off a low base.
European carriers reported a 6% increase in demand, while North American airlines recorded 5% growth. Capacity rose by 3% in Europe and 1.2% in North America.
Latin American and Caribbean carriers experienced weaker conditions, posting a 2.8% decline in demand despite a 1.2% increase in capacity.
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