Geneva: Global air cargo volumes reached their highest level on record in 2025, driven by sustained e-commerce growth and a reconfiguration of global trade routes, according to full-year data released by the International Air Transport Association.

Worldwide demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), rose 3.4 percent compared with 2024, while international cargo demand increased by 4.2 percent. Capacity growth broadly matched demand, with available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTK) up 3.7 percent, indicating a gradual return to a more balanced global air cargo market.

Momentum remained strong at the end of the year. In December 2025, global air cargo demand was 4.3 percent higher than a year earlier, while capacity rose 4.5 percent. Full-year cargo yields declined by 1.5 percent — the smallest annual drop in three years — but remained 37.2 percent above 2019 levels, reflecting continued resilience despite easing pricing power.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh said air cargo adapted quickly to shifting trade conditions, as companies adjusted supply chains in response to tariff uncertainty, changes to US trade rules, and rising intra-Asia and Asia-Europe demand.

Regional performance varied. Asia-Pacific airlines recorded the strongest growth in 2025, with air cargo demand rising 8.4 percent, followed by Africa at 6.0 percent. European carriers posted 2.9 percent growth, while North America was the only region to see a contraction, with demand falling 1.3 percent over the year.

Trade lane data showed a clear shift away from Asia–North America routes toward Asia–Europe corridors. Cargo flows within Asia and between the Middle East and Asia also expanded, reflecting changes in global sourcing and distribution patterns.

Looking ahead, IATA expects global air cargo demand growth to moderate to around 2.4 percent in 2026, broadly in line with long-term historical trends. The association said air cargo will remain central to global supply chains as airlines continue to adjust capacity and network flexibility in response to economic and geopolitical developments.