African airlines recorded a 4.7% year-on-year increase in air cargo demand in April 2025, while cargo capacity rose at a faster rate of 9.7%.
This marked a continued recovery in the region’s air freight sector.
The data was published by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which also noted a 5.8% increase in global cargo demand for the same period, alongside a 6.3% rise in available cargo capacity. For international operations specifically, demand grew by 6.5% and capacity expanded by 6.9%.
“Air cargo demand grew strongly in April, with volumes up 5.8% year-on-year, building on March’s solid performance,” the IATA report read in part.
It added, “African airlines saw a 4.7% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in April. Capacity increased by 9.7% year-on-year.”
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, highlighted that a combination of seasonal demand for fashion and consumer goods, driven by front-loading ahead of US tariff changes, and declining jet fuel prices has significantly boosted air cargo volumes. With capacity at record highs and yields showing improvement, the future outlook for the air cargo industry remains positive.
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Regionally, Latin American carriers led global growth with a 10.1% increase in cargo demand, followed closely by Asia-Pacific airlines with 10.0%.
- North American carriers saw a 4.2% rise, while European airlines posted 2.9%. Middle Eastern carriers recorded the slowest growth at 2.3%.
- African airlines’ 4.7% gain in demand placed them in the middle of the pack, highlighting their stable performance in a challenging global trade environment. However, the gap with the 9.7% increase in capacity could strain profitability, especially if global export volumes begin to soften further.
- The IATA report further noted that several macroeconomic indicators shaped April’s cargo trends. World industrial production rose 3.2% year-on-year in March, while global goods trade jumped 6.5% month-on-month.
Jet fuel prices continued their downward trend, falling 21.2% compared to a year ago and 4.1% from the previous month.
Despite this, the global manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) hovered just above expansion territory at 50.5. Meanwhile, the PMI for new export orders fell to 47.2, remaining below the 50 threshold, which suggests persistent weakness in forward-looking trade volumes.
Trade lane performance was also mixed. While most international routes recorded growth, traffic declined on key corridors such as Middle East–Europe, Africa–Asia, and intra-European routes, reflecting shifting global trade dynamics and ongoing geopolitical tensions.
