The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released June 2025 global air cargo market data, revealing modest growth amid heightened trade tensions and geopolitical disruptions.
Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), increased 0.8% year-on-year compared to June 2024 (1.6% for international operations).
Available capacity (ACTK) rose 1.7% year-on-year (2.8% for international operations).
“While overall demand grew slightly in June, performance diverged sharply by region. Trade tensions contributed to an 8.3% decline in North American traffic and stagnant growth in Europe at 0.8%. In contrast, Asia-Pacific carriers recorded a robust 9.0% expansion. Middle East volumes fell 3.2% due to ongoing regional conflict,”
— Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA.
Walsh stressed that stability and predictability are critical for global trade. While clarity on U.S. tariffs offers businesses some planning certainty, many of the new agreements have resulted in significantly higher import tariffs into the U.S. compared to earlier in 2025. He urged governments to simplify, accelerate, and secure trade flows through greater digitalization.
| Region | World Share of CTKs* | Demand (CTK) YoY | Capacity (ACTK) YoY | Load Factor Change (%-pt)** | Load Factor Level (%)*** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Market | 100% | +0.8% | +1.7% | -0.4 | 45.5 |
| Africa | 2.0% | +3.9% | +6.2% | -0.9 | 42.1 |
| Asia-Pacific | 34.2% | +9.0% | +7.8% | +0.6 | 50.3 |
| Europe | 21.5% | +0.8% | +2.6% | -0.9 | 49.6 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 2.9% | +3.5% | -0.4% | +1.4 | 36.6 |
| Middle East | 13.6% | -3.2% | +1.5% | -2.2 | 45.2 |
| North America | 25.8% | -8.3% | -5.1% | -1.3 | 38.5 |
* Based on 2024 industry CTKs
** Year-on-year change in load factor
*** Actual load factor for the month
While modest global growth masks regional disparities, the June data underscores the sensitivity of air cargo to geopolitical volatility, trade policy shifts, and regional disruptions.
IATA emphasized that trade facilitation through digitalization and tariff policy clarity will be critical to sustaining momentum into the second half of 2025.
Source: https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-07-31-01/
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