As the global airfreight industry steps into 2026, the latest projections from IATA suggest a year defined by growth, sustainability, and recalibration. Airlines are expected to carry 71.6 million tonnes of cargo.
This bullish outlook comes on the back of a record-setting October 2025, when global air cargo demand rose 4.1 percent year-on-year, according to IATA. It marked the eighth consecutive month of growth, driven by strong intra-Asia, Middle East–Europe, and Europe–Asia lanes — even as the Asia–North America corridor remained under pressure due to U.S. tariff impacts.
At the regional level, African airlines posted the highest year-on-year growth at 16.6 percent, followed by Asia-Pacific at 8.3 percent and the Middle East at 5.7 percent. European carriers grew a stable 4.3 percent, while North America and Latin America both declined by 2.7 percent, reflecting ongoing trade route realignments.
“October’s performance shows how air cargo is enabling global supply chains to reconfigure in real time,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh. “That’s crucial as we enter the Q4 peak season and prepare for a more fragmented demand environment in 2026.”
Indeed, fragmentation is one of the watchwords for the year ahead. Demand remains uneven across geographies, while cost pressures persist. Fuel prices rose 2.5 percent in October despite falling crude, and the global manufacturing PMI hovers just above the growth threshold. Export order sentiment, meanwhile, remains cautious.
Yet airlines are not standing still. IATA’s 2026 goals include $4.5 billion in SAF investment, $1.7 billion in climate financing, and continued improvement in operational metrics — like targeting an 83.8 percent seat occupancy rate and flying 5.2 billion passengers.
Source: Air cargo week
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