The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported a 4% year-on-year rise in global air cargo demand for April 2026, supported by strong Asia-linked trade flows despite disruption on Gulf-linked corridors.
The association said total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), increased by 4% compared with April 2025, while international operations also rose by 4%.
Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTK), fell by 0.4% overall and by 0.9% for international operations.
Willie Walsh, director general of IATA, said: “Air cargo demand grew 4% year-on-year in April, driven by strong Asia-linked trade flows. But this positive news masks a more complex operating environment.
“Severe disruption at major Gulf hubs due to the war in the Middle East continued to reshape trade routes and constrain capacity on key corridors. With dedicated freighters carrying much of the growth, air cargo is once again keeping supply chains moving amid trade disruptions.
“The coming months will test how well the sector can absorb continued geopolitical uncertainty and elevated operating costs.”
IATA said the operating environment remained mixed. Global trade contracted by 2.1% month-on-month in March after four consecutive months of growth, underlining the vulnerability of trade momentum to geopolitical shocks.
Jet fuel prices rose sharply in April, up 121.1% year-on-year, while crude oil prices increased by 77.7%.
However, global manufacturing sentiment remained in growth territory. The Purchasing Managers’ Index rose 1.9 points to 53.4 in April, while the PMI for new export orders reached 50.2. Both remained above the 50-point expansion threshold, supporting continued air cargo demand.
IATA reported that Asia-Pacific airlines recorded the strongest regional performance, with demand up 10.5% year-on-year and capacity increasing by 5.3%.
African airlines reported 7.7% demand growth, although capacity fell by 9.4%. European carriers saw demand rise by 6% and capacity by 3%, while North American carriers recorded a 5% increase in demand and a 1.2% rise in capacity.
Middle Eastern carriers posted the weakest performance, with demand down 18.2% year-on-year and capacity falling by 22.9%. Latin American and Caribbean carriers also recorded a decline, with demand down 2.8% while capacity increased by 1.2%.
IATA said air cargo performance diverged across major trade lanes in April. Africa-Asia led growth, followed by Asia-Europe, while intra-Asia remained strong on regional trade. Gulf-linked corridors were severely disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
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