IATA: African airlines record weakest air cargo demand growth in July

African airlines recorded the weakest air cargo demand growth among all regions in July 2026, with demand increasing by 1.1% year-on-year, according to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) latest air cargo market report.

The July performance was below global air cargo demand, which increased by 3.9% year-on-year during the month.

The weaker demand growth came as African airlines expanded cargo capacity faster than freight traffic, putting pressure on the region’s cargo load factor.

What the report is saying

African airlines increased available cargo capacity by 4.1% year-on-year in July, significantly faster than the 1.1% growth in demand, according to IATA.

• “African airlines saw a 1.1% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in July, the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity increased by 4.1% year-on-year,” the report stated.

The capacity expansion pushed the regional cargo load factor down by 1.4 percentage points to 45.8% during the month.

• Africa accounted for 2.1% of global air cargo demand based on its share of industry cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs) in 2025.
• The weaker African performance came despite all regions recording year-on-year growth in air cargo demand during July.
• Globally, total air cargo demand increased by 3.9% year-on-year, while available capacity grew by 1.7%. International air cargo demand increased by 4.7%, while international capacity rose by 1.8%.

IATA said airlines in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America accounted for more than 90% of the overall increase in global air cargo demand in July.

Other regions record stronger growth

North American carriers recorded the strongest air cargo demand growth in July, with demand increasing by 4.8% year-on-year, while capacity declined by 1.5%.

• European airlines recorded 4.4% growth in demand, while capacity increased by 1.3%.
• Asia-Pacific airlines recorded 4.1% growth in demand, with capacity rising by 3.0%.
• Latin American and Caribbean carriers recorded 4.1% growth in demand, while capacity increased by 7.0%.
• Middle Eastern airlines recorded 1.7% growth in demand, while capacity increased by 4.0%.

The stronger performance in other regions contributed to the overall 3.9% growth in global air cargo demand during the month.

Global trade supports cargo demand

Global trade increased by 7.5% year-on-year in July, providing support for air cargo demand.

• The Global Manufacturing Output Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), however, fell by 0.3 points to 52.7, while the New Export Orders Index increased to 50.0.
• IATA said the indicators remained broadly supportive of air cargo demand, although higher fuel prices, geopolitical tensions and tariff uncertainty remained risks to the outlook.
• Jet fuel prices increased by 12.2% month-on-month in July and were 56.9% higher than a year earlier.

The association also said dedicated freighters gained market share during the month as cargo carried in the belly holds of passenger aircraft declined.

Asia-North America trade lane leads growth

The Asia-North America corridor recorded the strongest growth among major trade lanes in July, with cargo demand increasing by 9.2%.

• The route recorded its sixth consecutive month of growth and accounted for 23.5% of global industry cargo demand based on 2025 figures.
• The Europe-Asia corridor recorded 3.1% growth, while Europe-North America increased by 2.1%.
• However, Gulf-linked trade corridors remained affected by the conflict in the Middle East.

Cargo demand on the Europe-Middle East route declined by 16.1%, while the Middle East-Asia corridor fell by 14.1%.

Get up to speed

African airlines had been among the strongest-performing regions in global air cargo markets for much of 2026 before the slowdown recorded in July.

• In June, African airlines were the only carriers globally to record a decline in air cargo capacity, with available cargo space falling 7.1% year-on-year despite a 4.7% increase in freight demand.
• In May, cargo demand increased by 13.3% year-on-year, while capacity rose by just 1.3%.
• In April, demand increased by 7.7% despite a 9.4% decline in capacity.
• In March, African airlines led global growth with a 7.0% increase in demand, even as global air cargo demand fell by 4.8%.

The strong performance began earlier in the year, with cargo demand surging 21% in February, supported by a 61.9% increase in the Africa-Asia trade corridor. In January, demand increased by 18.2%, driven partly by a 41.6% expansion in Africa-Asia cargo traffic.

The momentum also extended from late 2025, when African airlines recorded 15.6% growth in November and 10.1% in December, according to IATA data reviewed by Nairametrics.

What you should know

Africa’s limited air connectivity and high cost of air transport remain major barriers to the growth of air cargo across the continent, particularly for high-value and time-sensitive goods.

• A recent Atlantic Council report said Africa accounts for just 2% of global air transport activity despite representing 18% of the world’s population, with high costs and limited connectivity restricting the development of the continent’s aviation market.
• Less than 20% of African airline traffic operates on intra-African routes, according to the report.
• More than 70% of the continent’s air service agreements are restrictive, limiting routes, frequencies and other operating rights.

Stronger air connectivity could improve the movement of high-value and time-sensitive goods across African borders and support trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Aviation contributes about $75 billion to Africa’s GDP and supports 8.1 million jobs, according to the report.