African airlines lead global air cargo growth in October
African airlines experienced the highest growth in air cargo demand worldwide in October 2025, with a year-on-year increase of 16.6%.
Capacity across the continent also grew by 20% compared to October 2024, demonstrating a significant operational expansion aimed at meeting the increasing demand.
This information was derived from the International Air Transport Association's report on global air cargo markets in October 2025. The report highlighted the dominant position of the continent’s carriers, stating: “African airlines noted a 16.6% year-on-year rise in air cargo demand in October, the most substantial increase among all regions. Capacity rose by 20.0% year-on-year.”
On a global scale, the overall air cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres, saw a 4.1% year-on-year increase.
The available capacity, indicated in available cargo tonne-kilometres, climbed by 5.1%, marking the eighth consecutive month of growth and establishing a new monthly record. This expansion is supported by wider trends, including a 3% increase in goods trade and a 3.7% rise in industrial production in September, which was the fastest growth rate recorded since March 2025.
Outside of Africa, airlines in the Asia-Pacific region reported an 8.3% demand increase, with capacity rising by 7.3%, reflecting robust trade activity within Asia and between Asia and Europe. Middle Eastern airlines noted a 5.7% increase in demand, while their capacity grew by 10%, and European carriers recorded a 4.3% rise in both demand and capacity.
In contrast, airlines in North America and Latin America showed weaker performance. Demand fell by 2.7% year-on-year in both regions, with capacity increasing by just 0.1% for North America and 2.8% for Latin America.
Among trade routes, the Europe–Asia route experienced the strongest growth. This was followed by increases on the Middle East–Asia, Africa–Asia, and intra-Asia routes. However, volumes on the North America–Asia route and within Europe remained flat or saw slight declines.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, noted that despite the Asia–North America trade lane experiencing a contraction for the sixth month in a row, October brought double-digit or nearly double-digit growth within Asia, as well as between the Middle East and Europe, and between Europe and Asia. He remarked that this indicates “how air cargo is helping global supply chains adjust to the effects of US tariffs.”
Walsh underscored the significance of this development, describing it as particularly important as the air cargo sector approaches the peak shipping season in the fourth quarter.
The report also included insights on operational costs and market outlook, highlighting that jet fuel prices rose by 2.5% in October, and global manufacturing sentiment showed slight improvement, with the PMI increasing to 51.45. However, new export orders remained below the 50-point expansion threshold at 48.31, indicating ongoing caution amidst tariff uncertainties.
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