Air cargo demand saw a 4% growth in April 2026 over last last as trade by air kept supply chains moving amid trade disruptions.

Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), increased by 4.0% compared to April 2025 levels for international operations.

However, capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), decreased by -0.4% compared to April 2025 -0.9% for international operations.

“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," said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

He further said that 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,” he added.

Global trade contracted in March by 2.1% month-on-month after four consecutive months of growth, highlighting the continued vulnerability of trade momentum to geopolitical shocks.

Jet fuel prices rose sharply in April, up 121.1% year-on-year, alongside a 77.7% increase in crude oil prices.

On region wise impact, Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 10.5% year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in April, the strongest rise of all regions. Capacity increased by 5.3% year-on-year.

The worst impacted were Middle Eastern carriers as they saw a -18.2% year-on-year decrease in demand for air cargo in April, the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity decreased by -22.9% year-on-year.

Published on: May 28, 2026 7:24 PM IST