Cathay Cargo recorded a strong increase in airfreight volumes last month, supported by demand from the Chinese mainland into Southeast Asia and uptake of its Priority service.
Airfreight volumes totalled approximately 145,000 tonnes during June, a rise of 9% year on year. Meanwhile, capacity increased by 1%.
In the first six months of 2026, the total tonnage increased by 9% compared with the same period for 2025.
Cathay chief customer and commercial officer Lavinia Lau said: “Cargo tonnage recorded a solid year-on-year increase in June. During the month, we saw strong cargo flows from the Chinese Mainland into Southeast Asia alongside steady demand within Southeast Asia.
“Shipments into the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong remained resilient, while our specialist solutions continued to perform well, with semiconductor and pharmaceutical shipments supporting growth in Cathay Expert and Cathay Pharma respectively.
“Cathay Priority also saw strong demand into Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and the Americas, reflecting shippers’ need for time-definite solutions to replenish inventory.”
Lau pointed to jet fuel prices as an ongoing area of concern, as well as the potential e-commerce impact of the recently implemented EU customs duty on low-value parcels imported from outside the EU.
Early July figures from data provider and consultant Rotate showed that freighter capacity between China and Hong Kong and the European Union appears to have declined following the start of the new duty.
“Looking ahead, we anticipate continued healthy cargo flows across our network,” added Lau. “At the same time, we will monitor the potential impact on e-commerce flows following the introduction of new customs duties on low-value imports into Europe.”
The carrier recently cancelled its plans to restart freighter operations to the Middle East region following renewed fighting between the US and Iran.
