According to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the regular statistics of the global air‑cargo market for June 2026 show that total global air‑cargo demand, measured in cargo ton‑kilometres (CTKs), climbed by 8.5% year‑on‑year compared with June 2025. International cargo demand increased by 9.6%. Available cargo capacity, measured in available cargo ton‑kilometres (ACTKs), saw a 4.4% year‑on‑year rise versus June 2025, with international capacity growing by 4.9%.
Global air‑cargo demand registered an 8.5% year‑on‑year increase in June. North‑America contributed the most to this demand growth, and all regions posted higher cargo demand than in the same period last year.
Worldwide, demand growth outpaced capacity growth, a trend mirrored across all regions except Latin America and the Caribbean. Driven by high‑value tech‑related goods and urgent shipments, cargo demand has expanded faster than global trade. These factors provide solid grounds for an optimistic outlook for the second half of 2026, though risks persist, including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and potential renewed US tariff adjustments.
Global trade rose 5.2% year‑on‑year.
Jet‑fuel prices fell by 20% month‑on‑month in June, yet remained 45.8% higher than a year earlier.
Global manufacturing activity cooled slightly but stayed resilient in June, accompanied by weaker export‑order momentum. The global Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for manufacturing output slipped 0.5 points to 53.0, while the new‑export‑orders index stood at 49.4, staying below the 50‑point threshold for the fourth consecutive month. This indicates that air‑cargo growth was fuelled by targeted trade volumes, rather than broad‑based gains in global exports.
Regional Air‑Cargo Performance
Asia‑Pacific airlines recorded a 7.9% year‑on‑year rise in air‑cargo demand in June, alongside a 4.3% year‑on‑year capacity increase.
North‑American airlines delivered the strongest regional performance, with cargo demand jumping 13.1% year‑on‑year and capacity up 6.2%.
European airlines reported 6.9% year‑on‑year growth in cargo demand and a 3.7% rise in capacity.
Middle‑Eastern airlines achieved 6.9% year‑on‑year cargo‑demand growth, with capacity increasing by 3.7%.
Latin‑American and Caribbean airlines posted the weakest regional result: cargo demand grew 3.5% year‑on‑year, while capacity surged 9.8%.
African‑airline cargo demand rose 4.7% year‑on‑year, whereas capacity dropped by 7.1%.
Performance on Key Trade Lanes
Air‑cargo results varied across major global trade routes in June. The Asia‑North‑America lane led growth, followed by intra‑Asia, Europe‑Asia and Africa‑Asia routes. By contrast, routes linked to the Gulf region continued to face disruptions stemming from the Middle‑East conflict.
