According to Air Cargo News, global air cargo demand rose 4.4% year-on-year in August — measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK) — while capacity contracted by 0.1% compared to August 2025.
Strong Regional Growth and Capacity Cuts
North American carriers posted the strongest regional performance, with demand up 6.6% year-on-year and capacity down 2.5%. Latin American and Caribbean airlines followed closely, reporting a 5.1% demand increase alongside a 3.3% capacity rise. Asia-Pacific carriers recorded 4.3% demand growth and a modest 1.2% capacity expansion.
European carriers saw demand climb 4.1%, but capacity fell 3.5%. African airlines reported a 3% demand gain with capacity surging 14%, while Middle Eastern carriers registered the weakest demand growth at just 1%, despite a 3.3% capacity increase.
The global cargo load factor rose 2.0 percentage points to 46.0%, driven by capacity cuts among North American and European carriers that outweighed additions elsewhere, according to IATA.
Yields, Trade, and Manufacturing Signals Recovery
Air cargo yields increased month-on-month for the first time since April, supported by strong demand and higher load factors. Global goods trade grew 6.0% year-on-year in July — extending consecutive monthly expansions to 33 months. The Global Manufacturing Output Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose 0.3 points to 53.0, and the New Export Orders Index climbed 1.4 points to 51.4.
Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice president sustainability and chief economist, stated:
“Air cargo demand rose 4.4% year-on-year in August with all regions reporting growth even as capacity was trimmed by 0.1%.” — Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice president sustainability and chief economist
She added that rising yields helped airlines recoup some of the exceptionally high fuel costs, noting that both yield recovery and sustained trade growth are positive indicators ahead of the year-end peak season.
Fuel Costs and Trade Lane Divergence
Jet fuel prices surged 8.3% month-on-month in August and were 79.2% higher than a year earlier — posing continued pressure despite operational strength. Air cargo performance varied sharply across trade lanes: Asia–North America posted the strongest growth, followed by within-Asia, Europe–North America, and Europe–Asia corridors.
In contrast, Gulf-linked routes remained disrupted due to the conflict in the Middle East. IATA observed:
“Growth reached every carrier region but remained concentrated in North America and Asia Pacific.” — IATA
Capacity reductions in North America and Europe contributed directly to the 2.0 percentage points load factor gain, underscoring how supply discipline amplified utilization amid broad-based demand resilience.
Source: Air Cargo News
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
