Overview
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) shares that in November 2025, the global air cargo sector recorded a 5.5% increase in demand, as measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), compared to the previous year. At the same time, capacity rose by 4.7% year-on-year.
Insights from Willie Walsh
IATA’s Director-General, Willie Walsh, remarked:
“Air cargo demand grew 5.5 percent year-on-year in November 2025, boosted by shippers prioritizing timely delivery in the lead-up to the year-end holiday season. Strong emerging market demand and selective Middle Eastern growth more than made up for softness in the Americas amid ongoing adjustment to the new US tariff regime. The strong end for 2025 bodes well for the air cargo industry as it enters the new year.”
Contributing Factors
Several factors propelled this increase in demand:
- The global goods trade rose 3.2% year-on-year in October.
- A 5.9% increase in jet fuel prices during mid-November, influenced by refinery disruptions and EU restrictions on Russian-derived products.
- A strong manufacturing sentiment with the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rising to 51.17.
Performance by Region
- Asia-Pacific: +10.3% growth, with 8.4% increase in capacity.
- North America: -1.6% decrease, with 2.3% drop in capacity.
- Europe: +5.8% increase in demand, with capacity up by 4.1%.
- Middle East: +7.4% demand growth, with capacity increasing by 11.0%.
- Latin America & Caribbean: -4.8% decrease in demand, the region’s weakest performance.
- Africa: +15.6% growth, the most robust rise among all regions, with 18.1% increase in capacity.
