African airlines recorded a 21% year-on-year increase in air cargo demand in February 2026, the highest among all regions.
This was disclosed in data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for February 2026 global air cargo markets.
The data showed that African carriers outpaced other regions in growth, while global air freight activity also increased in the same period.
What the data is saying
In Africa, air cargo demand rose 21% year-on-year in February, with capacity increasing 17.3%, reflecting a significant rise in shipments handled by the region’s carriers.
- “African airlines saw a 21.0% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in February, the strongest rise of all regions. Capacity increased by 17.3% year-on-year.”
- Globally, air cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), rose 11.2% compared to February 2025, with international operations increasing 11.6%.
- Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased 8.5%, while international capacity grew 9.8%, indicating that demand grew faster than the space available for cargo.
The report confirms that African carriers led global growth in air cargo in February 2026.
More insights
IATA Director General, Willie Walsh, said February’s growth partly reflected pre-Lunar New Year shipments and highlighted factors that could affect the outlook for the rest of the year.
- Rising fuel costs and fuel scarcity in some regions may influence airline operations.
- Disruptions to key cargo hubs in the Middle East could impact air freight.
- Global goods trade grew 5.2% year-on-year in January, while manufacturing activity strengthened, with the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rising to 53.1.
- The PMI for new export orders reached 51.4, the highest since July 2021.
The report also noted that jet fuel prices rose 1.2% year-on-year in February, with continued volatility in refining margins.
Performance in other regions
Other regions recorded growth in air cargo demand, though at lower rates than in Africa.
- Middle Eastern carriers saw demand rise 16.5%, with capacity increasing 13.5%.
- Asia-Pacific airlines reported a 13.6% increase in demand alongside a 10.1% expansion in capacity.
- North American carriers recorded a 9.4% rise in demand, with capacity up 5.3%.
- European airlines saw demand grow 6.9%, with capacity increasing 6.1%.
- Latin American and Caribbean carriers had the slowest growth, with demand up just 0.7%, even as capacity rose 4.5%.
This confirms that African airlines recorded the strongest regional performance in February 2026.
What you should know
The Africa–Asia air cargo trade lane recorded the fastest growth globally, surging 61.9% year-on-year in February 2026. The lane had already shown strong performance in January, growing 41.6% compared to January 2025.
- Despite rapid growth, the Africa–Asia route still represents just 1.3% of total air cargo.
- African carriers recorded the strongest regional performance in January 2026, with demand up 18.2% and capacity rising 6.5%.
- Global air cargo demand grew 5.6% overall in February, with international flights up 7.2%.
This data shows Africa’s carriers leading regional growth in air cargo for both January and February 2026, according to IATA.
