The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its global air cargo market data for June 2026, revealing that total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), rose by 8.5% compared to the same month last year, with international demand up 9.6%.

Capacity, calculated in available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTK), increased by 4.4% year-on-year, while international capacity grew by 4.9%. North America made the largest contribution to demand growth, with all regions reporting year-on-year increases.

Globally, demand growth outpaced capacity expansion, a trend mirrored in most regions with the exception of Latin America and the Caribbean. Demand is rising faster than global trade growth, supported by high-value technology products and urgent shipment cargo. These factors provide solid grounds for optimism in the second half of 2026, though risks remain, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and fresh adjustments to US tariff policies.

Global trade grew by 5.2% year-on-year. Jet fuel prices in June dropped 20% month-on-month but remained 45.8% higher than a year earlier. The global manufacturing sector saw a slight slowdown in activity in June, though it stayed in expansion territory, with export orders easing. The global manufacturing output Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell by 0.5 points to 53.0, while the new export orders index remained below the 50 threshold for a fourth consecutive month at 49.4, suggesting that air cargo growth is being driven by specific trade volumes rather than broad-based global export expansion.

Regional performance varied across the board. Asia-Pacific carriers saw June air cargo demand climb 7.9% year-on-year, with capacity up 4.3%. North American carriers recorded the strongest performance among all regions, with demand surging 13.1% and capacity rising 6.2%. European carriers posted a 6.9% increase in demand alongside a 3.7% rise in capacity.

Middle Eastern airlines also experienced 6.9% demand growth, with capacity up 3.7%. Latin American and Caribbean carriers saw the weakest growth, with demand edging up just 3.5% despite capacity expanding 9.8%. African airlines reported a 4.7% demand increase, while capacity contracted by 7.1%.

Trade lane performance in June showed notable divergence across major routes. The Asia-North America corridor led the way in growth, followed by intra-Asia routes, Europe-Asia, and Africa-Asia lanes. In contrast, routes linked to the Gulf region remained disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.