Global air cargo demand recorded strong growth in September 2026, rising 7.7% year-on-year, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Demand for international air cargo operations grew even faster, increasing by 8.6% compared with September 2025.
Meanwhile, global air cargo capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), expanded by 2.7% year-on-year during the month. Capacity on international routes registered a slightly higher growth of 3.3%.
The figures indicate that air cargo demand continued to outpace capacity growth in September 2026, highlighting sustained momentum in the global air freight market.
Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist, 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.”
Several key factors shaped the global air cargo operating environment during the period. Global trade grew by 3.6% year-on-year in August, marking the 42nd consecutive month of annual expansion.
Meanwhile, jet fuel prices surged by 17.5% month-on-month in September, reaching levels 103.4% higher than those recorded a year earlier, adding to cost pressures for the air cargo industry.
Global manufacturing activity also showed signs of improvement in August. The Global Manufacturing Output Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose by 0.7 points to 53.8, while the New Export Orders Index increased by 0.5 points to 51.9. Both indicators reached their highest levels in five years, signalling stronger manufacturing momentum and continued support for air cargo demand.
September Regional Performance
Air cargo demand increased across all regions in September 2026, although growth rates varied. North American airlines recorded the strongest year-on-year growth, with demand rising by 11.8%, while capacity increased by 0.8%. Asia-Pacific carriers followed with an 8.6% increase in demand and a 4.9% rise in capacity.
Latin American and Caribbean airlines reported a 6.7% growth in air cargo demand, alongside a 7.6% expansion in capacity. African carriers registered a 4.7% increase in demand, while capacity declined by 1.2%. European airlines recorded demand growth of 4.5%, despite a 1.6% contraction in capacity. Meanwhile, Middle Eastern carriers posted the slowest demand growth among all regions, at 3.8%, while capacity expanded by 7%.
Trade Lane Growth
Air cargo traffic across major trade lanes showed mixed performance in September 2026. The Asia–North America corridor recorded the strongest growth, followed by routes within Asia, Europe–North America and Europe–Asia. However, trade lanes connected to the Middle East experienced weaker performance, with cargo traffic declining on both the Europe–Middle East and Middle East–Asia routes.
