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IATA reports 8.6% growth in international air cargo demand in September
October 30th 2026
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released September 2026 global air cargo market data showing total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose 7.7% from September 2025 (+8.6% for international operations). Read More » Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), rose 2.7% from September 2025 (+3.3% for international operations).
Asia-Pacific airlines saw air cargo demand grow 8.6% year-on-year in September. Capacity increased by 4.9% year-on-year.
Air cargo performance remained mixed across major trade lanes in September. Asia–North America recorded the strongest growth, followed by within Asia, Europe–North America and Europe–Asia. In contrast, Middle East-linked corridors remained under pressure, with traffic declining on both Europe–Middle East and Middle East–Asia routes, the IATA said.
“Air cargo demand rose 7.7% year-on-year in September, with growth across all regions. Stronger global trade and manufacturing provided a supportive backdrop, while AI-related shipments helped drive another month of double-digit growth across the Pacific. The challenge is cost. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled compared with a year ago, and yields have not kept pace. There is no shortage of goods to ship, but doing that profitably in the face of persistently high fuel prices has become more challenging,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Chief Economist.
