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

Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), increased by 7.7% compared to September 2025 (+8.6% for international operations).

Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 2.7% compared to September 2025 (+3.3% for international operations). 

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:

Global trade increased by 3.6% year-on-year in August, extending the run of consecutive monthly expansions to 42 months, on a year-on-year basis.

Jet fuel prices rose by 17.5% month-on-month in September and were 103.4% higher than a year earlier.

Global manufacturing activity pointed upwards in August. The Global Manufacturing Output Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) increased 0.7 points to 53.8, while the New Export Orders Index rose 0.5 points to 51.9. Both indicators reached their highest level in five years and remain supportive of air cargo demand.

Trade Lane Growth
Air cargo performance remained mixed across major trade lanes in September. Asia–North America recorded the strongest growth, followed by within Asia, Europe–North America, and Europe–Asia. In contrast, Middle East-linked corridors remained under pressure, with traffic declining on both Europe–Middle East and Middle East–Asia routes.