Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region recorded another month of cargo growth in November, supported by inventory restocking and rising ecommerce volumes ahead of the year-end festive season. The combination of these factors continued to drive air cargo demand higher.

Traffic figures released by the Kuala Lumpur-based Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed "continued strong growth" in cargo markets with international air cargo demand — measured in freight tonne-kilometers (FTK) — up 6.2% year-on-year.

November's 6.91 million metric tonnes of cargo was also higher than October's 6.64 million metric tonnes and September's 6.4 million metric tonnes. In August, Asia Pacific airlines transported 6.5 million metric tonnes of cargo.

In July, carriers in the Asia Pacific carriers moved 6.8 million tonnes and it reached 6.6 million tonnes in June. In May, carriers transported 6.42 million tonnes, and in April, they moved 6.24 million tonnes of cargo.

AAPA said November's cargo performance reflects increased export activity from Asian economies, particularly in South-East Asia and India.

(Source: AAPA) 

"Asian carriers benefitted from strong demand for the timely shipment of goods, consistent with past traffic trends for this time of the year," Subhas Menon, director-general at AAPA, said.

"Overall, air cargo demand remained resilient over the year, rising by 5.6% year-on-year for the first eleven months of 2025, as supply chains increasingly shifted towards other economies in Asia," he added.

For November, offered freight capacity rose by 7.2% year-on-year, resulting in a marginal 0.6 percentage point decline in the average international freight load factor to 61.9% for the month.

Looking ahead, Menon said the overall outlook is positive.

"Intensifying market competition is placing pressure on yields, while airlines continue to face cost pressures arising from persistent supply chain challenges. Although the decline in oil prices provides some relief, airlines remain vigilant in managing costs to maintain profitability," the AAPA chief said.

Meanwhile, in December, AAPA announced the appointment of Wong Hong as its next director general, effective April 1, 2026, succeeding Menon, who will step down after leading the association since 2020.