Air cargo demand strengthened in February, but the outbreak of war in the Middle East late in the momth has cast uncertainty over the sector's full-year outlook, according to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose by 11.2% compared to February 2025 levels. It was up 11.6% for international operations.
In January, total demand was up 5.6% year-on-year, while international CTKs grew 7.2%. Capacity rose 3.6% overall and 5.7% for international operations.
Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 8.5% from February 2025, while it rose 9.8% for international operations.
"Air cargo demand grew 11.2% in February. Even considering the boost that February received from the movement of goods ahead of Lunar New Year, the month showed strong growth," said Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General.
Nonetheless, Walsh warned that the recent outbreak of war in the Middl e East has introduced significant uncertainty into the air cargo outlook.
"The outbreak of war in the Middle East at the end of the month, however, makes it difficult to see how full-year performance will unfold. Sharply rising fuel costs, fuel scarcity in parts of the world, and the severe disruption to key cargo hubs in the Gulf are major shifts. While air cargo has repeatedly proven its resilience in the face of disruption, an early resolution of the war along with a normalization of fuel supply and costs would be in everybody's interest," he said.
African, Middle East carriers lead February growth
African airlines posted the strongest growth in February, with cargo demand rising 21.0% year‑on‑year and capacity up 17.3%. Middle Eastern carriers followed with a 16.5% increase in demand and a 13.5% rise in capacity, while Asia‑Pacific airlines recorded a 13.6% expansion supported by a 10.1% capacity boost.
North American carriers saw demand grow 9.4% alongside a 5.3% increase in capacity, and European airlines reported a 6.9% rise in demand with capacity up 6.1%.
Latin American and Caribbean carriers delivered the weakest performance, posting a modest 0.7% increase in demand despite a 4.5% capacity expansion.
Growth across all major trade lanes
IATA noted that air freight volumes in February also rose across all major trade corridors.
African–Asia traffic recorded the strongest expansion in February, with volumes surging 61.9% year‑on‑year after eight consecutive months of growth, though the lane accounts for just 1.3% of global market share.
Middle East–Asia demand rose 24.0% with a full year of uninterrupted growth, followed by Europe–Asia, which posted a 13.1% increase and has now logged 36 straight months of gains.
Within Asia, traffic grew 9.1% and has expanded for 28 consecutive months, matching the 9.1% rise on the Asia–North America lane. Europe–Middle East flows increased 9.3%, while Europe–North America demand rose 5.7% after more than two years of continuous growth.
The weakest performance came from intra‑Europe markets, which grew 7.8% but represent only 1.9% of global volumes.
