IATA: Air cargo demand accelerates in September, up 7.7%

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for September 2026 global air cargo markets showing:

“Air cargo demand rose 7.7% year-on-year in September, with growth across all regions. Stronger global trade and manufacturing provided a supportive backdrop, while AI-related shipments helped drive another month of double-digit growth across the Pacific. The challenge is cost. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled compared with a year ago, and yields have not kept pace. There is no shortage of goods to ship, but doing that profitably in the face of persistently high fuel prices has become more challenging,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist.

September regional performance Asia-Pacific airlines saw an 8.6% year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in September. Capacity increased by 4.9% year-on-year.

North American carriers saw an 11.8% year-on-year increase in air cargo demand in September, the strongest performance of all regions. Capacity increased by 0.8% year-on-year.

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