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IATA reports air cargo traffic expanded 3.9% in July
September 1st 2026
Air cargo demand, measured by cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), rose 3.9% in July compared with a year ago, led by the strong performance of airlines in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. Read More » Those three markets accounted for more than 90% of the overall growth in CTKs in July, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said. Air cargo capacity was 1.7% higher in the month. "Dedicated freighters gained market share as belly-hold traffic declined, possibly reflecting demand for larger or specialist shipments and the operational flexibility that freighters can provide," IATA chief economist and senior vice president for sustainability, Marie Owens Thomsen, said. "Looking ahead, the outlook remains broadly positive, supported by manufacturing activity, export orders and global trade. However, higher fuel prices, geopolitical tensions and tariff uncertainty will need to be watched carefully." The airline lobby group’s monthly cargo report said the Asia-Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean markets had the third highest growth rate for cargo demand, with CTKs rising 4.1% in the 31 days behind North America at 4.8% and Europe at 4.4%.
