The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for July 2026 global air cargo markets showing: 

Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), increased by 3.9% compared to July 2025 (4.7% for international operations).Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 1.7% compared to July 2025 (1.8% for international operations). 

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted: 

Global trade increased by 7.5% year-on-year.Jet fuel prices rose by 12.2% month-on-month in July and were 56.9% higher than a year earlier.Global manufacturing activity eased slightly in June but remained supportive, while export orders reached their highest level in three months. The Global Manufacturing Output Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell 0.3 points to 52.7, while the New Export Orders Index rose to 50.0. Together, these indicators remained broadly supportive of air cargo demand.

Trade Lane Growth
Air cargo performance diverged across major trade lanes in July. Asia–North America recorded the strongest growth, followed by Europe–Asia, and Europe-North America. In contrast, Gulf-linked corridors remained disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East.