Africa’s Demand for air cargo transport rises at 1.1 percent which is weakest of all regions worldwide

The International Air Transport Association has released data for July 2026 global air cargo markets showing the total demand, which is measured in cargo tonne-kilometers, increased by 3.9 percent and 4.7 percent for international operations, when compared to the previous July 2025

Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 1.7 percent compared to July 2025 (and 1.8 percent for international operations).

“Air cargo demand grew 3.9 percent year-on-year in July. While all regions recorded growth, airlines in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America accounted for more than 90 percent of the overall increase,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist

“Dedicated freighters gained market share as belly-hold traffic declined, possibly reflecting demand for larger or specialist shipments and the operational flexibility that freighters can provide.”

“Looking ahead, the outlook remains broadly positive, supported by manufacturing activity, export orders and global trade. However, higher fuel prices, geopolitical tensions and tariff uncertainty will need to be watched carefully,” added Owens

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:

Global trade increased by 7.5 percent year-on-year.

Jet fuel prices rose by 12.2 percent month-on-month in July and were 56.9 percent higher than a year earlier.

Global manufacturing activity eased slightly in June but remained supportive, while export orders reached their highest level in three months.

The Global Manufacturing Output Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell 0.3 points to 52.7, while the New Export Orders Index rose to 50.0.

Together, these indicators remained broadly supportive of air cargo demand.

Air cargo market in detail – July 2026

July Regional Performance

Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 4.1 percent year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in July. Capacity increased by 3.0 percent year-on-year.

North American carriers saw a 4.8 percent year-on-year increase in air cargo demand in July, the strongest performance of all regions. Capacity decreased by 1.5 percent year-on-year.

European carriers saw a 4.4 percent year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in July. Capacity increased by 1.3 percent year-on-year.

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 1.7 percent year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in July. Capacity increased by 4.0 percent year-on-year.

Latin American and Caribbean carriers saw a 4.1 percent year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in July. Capacity increased by 7.0 percent year-on-year.

African airlines saw a 1.1 percent year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in July, the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity increased by 4.1 percent year-on-year. 

Trade Lane Growth

Air cargo performance diverged across major trade lanes in July. Asia–North America recorded the strongest growth, followed by Europe–Asia, and Europe-North America. In contrast, Gulf-linked corridors remained disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East.

Overview

During the July 2026 African airlines saw:

• a 1.1% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo  – the weakest of all regions worldwide.
• a  4.1% year-on-year  expansion of cargo capacity
• for a 45.8%  cargo load factor (the percentage of capacity taken up by the market)

By comparison, during the same period, airlines worldwide saw:

• total demand increase by 3.9% year-on-year
• capacity expanded by 1.7% year on year
• for an average 46.0% cargo load factor