The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for January 2026 global air cargo markets showing:
- Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose by 5.6% compared to January 2025 levels (+7.2% for international operations).
- Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 3.6% compared to January 2025 (+5.7% for international operations).
“The demand for air cargo had a robust start to 2026, recording 5.6% year-on-year growth in January. At the regional level, the story is more polarized. Carriers in Africa, Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Europe all reported faster growth than the global average. In contrast, carriers in the Americas reported aggregate contractions.
