Air cargo traffic to and from the Middle East & South Asia (MESA) has fallen sharply in the last two weeks due to the effects of Eid Al-Adha holidays and the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, which has slowed some of the post-Eid recovery of volumes.
According to the latest weekly figures and analysis from WorldACD Market Data, tonnages flown from MESA origins declined by a further -9%, week on week (WoW), in week 24 (9 to 15 June) after already falling by around -8% the previous week in response to Eid (6 to 9 June), especially intra-MESA traffic (-26%) and MESA to Africa flows (-17%). In week 24, the WoW declines continued, with South Asia impacted particularly strongly (-13%) – including WoW declines in traffic from Bangladesh (-43%) and Pakistan (-30%).
Flown tonnages from Levant countries were down by -21%, WoW, in week 24, as a result of widespread flight cancelations in the area since Israel began directly attacking targets in Iran from Friday 13 June. Analysis by WorldACD indicates that the -21% WoW fall in traffic from Levant countries in week 24 accounted for around 12% of the overall WoW drop in tonnages from MESA origins, with the declines from South Asia explaining the rest of the deficit.
UAE cargo rebounds
Tonnages from most Gulf countries were also negatively impacted in week 24, although traffic from the UAE more than compensated for the drop in volumes from other Gulf countries with a +15% WoW increase, bringing total Gulf tonnages into overall growth (+8%), WoW. Those traffic increases from the UAE were mainly to destinations in Africa (+36%, WoW) and other parts of the MESA region (+31%, WoW), with especially big increases to West Africa (+76%) – notably to Nigeria, Chad and Senegal – and to East Africa (+25%), especially to Kenya (+83%). Within MESA, traffic from the UAE rebounded especially strongly in week 24 on intra-Gulf routes (+51%), particularly to Saudi Arabia (+107%), after falling the previous week due to Eid.
Combining the figures for weeks 23 and 24, total tonnages from MESA origins were still -13% below their level in the previous two weeks (a two-week-on-two-week comparison – 2Wo2W), including a -14% decline to Asia Pacific destinations and a -11% drop to Europe, based on the more than 500,000 weekly transactions covered by WorldACD’s data.
Asia Pacific rises
Elsewhere, air cargo tonnages from Asia Pacific origins rose by +2%, WoW – the only global origin region to record a WoW increase in week 24 – although the combined volumes ex-Asia Pacific for weeks 23 and 24 were negative (-4%) compared with the previous two weeks.
Half of that +2% WoW increase in tonnages from Asia Pacific origins in week 24 was generated by growth in traffic from mainland China origins (+3%, WoW) – mostly (84%) from Shanghai, which recorded a +5% WoW rise in outbound tonnages, supported by a +5% WoW rise in air cargo capacity ex-Shanghai, while tonnages from China South East rose by +2%, WoW. The other main contributor was a +2% rise in tonnages from North East Asia, thanks largely to a +15% rebound in demand from South Korea following the country’s Memorial Day holiday on 6 June.
Much of that increase in tonnages from Asia Pacific origins in week 24 was to the US – especially from China origins, which recorded a +6% WoW increase in week 24 after falling -10% the previous week. That market has remained highly volatile as cargo owners and air cargo stakeholders continue to adjust to the fast-changing US tariff and trade policy landscape. Combined Asia Pacific tonnages to the US rose by +4%, WoW, in week 24 after falling -10% the previous week.
Pricing relatively stable
Average global rates were broadly stable in week 24 at US$2.41 per kilo, based on a full-market mix of spot and contract rates, with the biggest change coming from MESA origins (-4%, WoW). Globally, average rates are very slightly (-1%) below their level in week 24 last year. Spot price trends are similar, stable at an average of $2.59 per kilo globally, and down -2% year on year (YoY) – with the biggest YoY drop coming from MESA (-22%) and Asia Pacific (-5%). Meanwhile, spot prices are slightly higher, YoY, from North America (+5%), Africa (+4%), and Central & South America (+2%).
Average spot rates from Asia Pacific origins to the US fell (-2%, WoW) in week 24 for the second consecutive week, after briefly rebounding in the second half of May since the most-recent set of US import tariffs on China-made goods was paused. Those trends are particularly apparent from Hong Kong, where average spot rates lost a further -6%, WoW, after losing -12% the previous week, taking prices back down close to $4 per kilo – close to their level in early May. That market has been particularly affected by the recent changes to US ‘de minimis’ rules for low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong – which continue to face much higher import charges and processing costs since 2 May.
Source: WorldACD
𝐀𝐋𝐒 – 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬
President Trump’s recent visit to the Middle East marks a strategic shift toward commercial diplomacy, prioritizing economic initiatives over traditional political engagement....
Global supply chains continued to display signs of slack in May 2025, as trade friction and tariffs reshaped procurement strategies across key regions. According to the GEP...
Businesses reliant on goods manufactured in the US and China are beginning to see relief in global supply chain bottlenecks as the world’s two largest economies reached a...
Global air freight rates increased marginally last week, according to the latest data from the TAC Index. The global Baltic Air Freight Index recorded a 0.4% rise in the week...
The second quarter of 2025 has brought significant disruptions to global freight markets, with U.S. trade policies intensifying volatility in both ocean and air cargo sectors.
In recent years, airlines prioritized the soaring demand for e-commerce shipments on trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe routes, often at the expense of traditional general air...
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global air cargo traffic, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs), increased by 5.8% year-on-year in April...
The air cargo market has witnessed a significant increase in the volume of laptops transported from Vietnam to the U.S. in recent months, as highlighted by recent data from...
After rebounding in the latter part of May, air cargo tonnages from China and Hong Kong to the US dropped back sharply in the first full week of June, according to the latest...
ALS