Air Cargo Demand Accelerates in September, Up 7.7%

Le trafic de fret aérien s’accélère en septembre, en hausse de 7,7 % (pdf)

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for September 2026 global air cargo markets showing:

“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,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist.

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:

Air Cargo Market in Detail - September 2026

(*1) % of industry CTK in 2025 (*2) Year-on-year change in load factor (*3) Load factor level

September Regional Performance

Asia-Pacific airlines saw an 8.6% year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in September. Capacity increased by 4.9% year-on-year.

North American carriers saw an 11.8% year-on-year increase in air cargo demand in September, the strongest performance of all regions. Capacity increased by 0.8% year-on-year.

European carriers saw a 4.5% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in September. Capacity decreased by 1.6% year-on-year.

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 3.8% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in September, the weakest of all regions. Capacity increased by 7.0% year-on-year.

Latin American and Caribbean carriers saw a 6.7% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in September. Capacity increased by 7.6% year-on-year.

African airlines saw a 4.7% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in September. Capacity decreased by 1.2% year-on-year.

Trade Lane Growth

Air cargo performance remained mixed across major trade lanes in September. Asia–North America recorded the strongest growth, followed by within Asia, Europe–North America, and Europe–Asia. In contrast, Middle East-linked corridors remained under pressure, with traffic declining on both Europe–Middle East and Middle East–Asia routes.

*Share is based on full-year 2025 CTKs.

> View September 2026 Air Cargo Market Analysis (pdf)

For more information, please contact:

Corporate CommunicationsTel: +41 22 770 2967Email: corpcomms@iata.org

Notes for Editors: