Air cargo demand rises 4% in April amid Middle East disruption: IATA
Dhaka: Global air cargo demand grew 4.0% year-on-year in April, driven by strong Asia-linked trade flows, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a data release. However, severe disruptions at major Gulf hubs due to the ongoing war in the Middle East continued to reshape trade routes and constrain capacity on key corridors.
Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose 4.0% compared to April 2025, while capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), fell 0.4% over the same period.
"Air cargo is once again keeping supply chains moving amid trade disruptions," said Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General. He noted the coming months would test the sector's ability to absorb continued geopolitical uncertainty and elevated operating costs.
Several headwinds shaped the operating environment. Global trade contracted 2.1% month-on-month in March after four consecutive months of growth. Jet fuel prices surged 121.1% year-on-year in April, alongside a 77.7% rise in crude oil prices.
On a more positive note, the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose 1.9 points to 53.4, while the PMI for new export orders reached 50.2 — both above the 50-point expansion threshold, supporting air cargo demand.
Asia-Pacific carriers posted the strongest regional performance with demand up 10.5% year-on-year. European carriers saw a 6.0% rise, North American carriers recorded 5.0% growth, and African airlines saw demand climb 7.7%.
In stark contrast, Middle Eastern carriers reported an 18.2% year-on-year drop in demand — the weakest performance of all regions — with capacity falling 22.9%. Latin American and Caribbean carriers also saw a 2.8% decrease.
Among major trade lanes, Europe–Asia led with 16.2% growth, marking 38 consecutive months of expansion. Within-Asia trade rose 13.0%, while Africa–Asia climbed 12.8%.
Gulf-linked corridors were among the hardest hit. Europe–Middle East demand fell 25.9%, and Middle East–Asia declined 22.4%, both recording two consecutive months of contraction.
