African carriers posted the strongest growth in global air cargo demand in November 2025, with volumes rising 15.6% year-on-year.
The figures are according to data recently released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on global air cargo markets.
The growth highlights the continent’s rising importance in global trade and the increasing reliance on air freight to move goods efficiently.
What the IATA report is saying
The IATA report shows that African airlines not only led the world in demand growth but also expanded capacity significantly to accommodate rising shipments.
Available cargo capacity for African carriers increased 18.1% year-on-year, the largest growth of any region in November 2025.
“The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for November 2025 global air cargo markets showing…,” the report read in part.
It added, “African airlines saw a 15.6% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in November, the strongest rise of all regions. Capacity increased by 18.1% year-on-year.”
Globally, total air cargo demand rose 5.5% year-on-year, with international operations up 6.9%, while global capacity increased 4.7%, and 6.5% for international flights.
IATA noted that the strong global performance reflected shippers prioritizing timely deliveries ahead of the year-end holiday season, strategic trade re-routing, and robust demand in emerging markets.
Commenting on the performance, Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, said that air cargo demand grew 5.5% year-on-year in November 2025, driven by shippers prioritizing timely delivery ahead of the year-end holiday season.
He noted that strong demand in emerging markets, combined with selective growth in the Middle East, more than offset weakness in the Americas, which was affected by ongoing adjustments to the new US tariff regime.
Walsh added that the fourth quarter for global air cargo had been resilient, with strategic re-routing of trade shaping performance across key markets. He concluded that the strong finish to 2025 boded well for the air cargo industry as it entered the new year.
Insights into airline performance in other regions
While Africa led the growth charts, other regions posted mixed results. Airlines in the Asia-Pacific recorded a 10.3% year-on-year increase in demand, supported by an 8.4% rise in capacity.
European carriers experienced moderate growth, with demand up 5.8% and capacity increasing 4.1%. Middle Eastern airlines saw a 7.4% increase in demand and an 11% rise in capacity.
In contrast, North American carriers faced a slight decline, with demand falling 1.6% and capacity down 2.3%, while airlines in Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the weakest performance, with demand dropping 4.8% and capacity decreasing 3.0%.
