Author: Admin

Air cargo demand continues its strong start to the year in February

By Damian Brett | 6 March 2026

Airfreight on the tarmac

Air cargo demand continued its busy start to the year in February, while the Middle East crisis could triple airfreight rates on affected lanes if the conflict continues.

The latest numbers from air cargo data provider Xeneta show that air cargo demand increased by 6% year on year in February, following on from a 7% increase in January.

Capacity for the month increased by the lower amount of 4% year on year and as a result of demand growing faster than supply, the dynamic load factor was up two percentage points to 62%.

The average spot freight rate was up 5% year on year to $2.58 per kg – the first monthly increase since May 2025.

Xeneta said the increase in demand and rates reflected the timing of the Lunar New Year in Asia and the continued depreciation of the US dollar compared to a year ago.

Most industry commentators have been predicting a moderation in demand growth in 2026, with the general consensus pointing towards an increase of around 2-3% for the year as a whole.

Trade lane performance

Two trade lanes saw spot rates increase by double-digit percentage levels in February: Europe-North America spot rates in February were up 21% year on year, while Northeast Asia-North America rates improved by 10% due to demand for semiconductors.

“Tariff impacts, however, weakened China to US air cargo demand, while China to Europe volumes remained relatively stable, but neither corridor repeated the typical pre-holiday cargo rush at the start of 2025,” Xeneta said.

Airfreight demand rises in December but growth expected to slow in 2026

“This hints at what’s likely to happen in 2026. Some Asia-based airlines with strong exposure to e-commerce remain optimistic about growth prospects in 2026, while others are taking a more cautious, wait-and-see stance.”

Middle East impact

The military strikes from Iran, the US and Israel resulted in a 12% of global air cargo capacity from the market, Xeneta said.

Meanwhile, major regional hubs – such as Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi – temporarily suspended flight operations amid multiple airspace restrictions, causing an immediate impact on the Asia–Europe air cargo corridor.

Prices on affected trade lanes could triple if the conflict is protracted, Xeneta warned.

“The revenue impact of disrupted flight timetables is just one of the concerns for airlines. Jet fuel, a major airline cost component, could also rise materially if crude prices continue to climb,” Xeneta said.

“If the conflict is brief and flights to/from the Middle East resume quickly, markets will normalise faster and reduce concerns of a longer-term spike in oil prices, but protracted disruption lasting weeks is likely to mean prices on affected markets could double or even triple.”

Air cargo tackles backlogs as Middle East conflict capacity crunch continues

“A further escalation of the conflict could trigger a global energy shock and stagflationary pressures reminiscent of the 1970s, with sharply higher oil prices and a significant correction in equity markets, both unwelcome developments in relation to trade volumes, shipping costs, and retail prices.”

Xeneta said that airlines are likely to deploy more direct Asia-Europe flights or conduct technical stops in central Asia, depending on traffic rights, airspace availability and operational constraints.

With container shipping now reverting to routing around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the Middle East, air cargo could be boosted once airlines can resume normal operations.

Looking to the rest of the year, Niall van de Wouw, Xeneta’s chief airfreight officer, said: “If we only had February’s data to focus on, we would say the start of the year has been encouraging for the air cargo market. Now, the stakes are raised.

“Past reactions to previous macro-events show that the global airfreight industry is highly skilled in finding and creating solutions.

“But it will come at the price of higher logistical costs for the owner of the goods. But I am sure they will temporarily have no issue with paying such additional fees as long as they can serve their customers on time

“In the coming weeks, we might see (again) the vulnerability and strength of the airfreight industry in the spotlight.”

 

By Rebecca Jeffrey | 2 March 2026

Cargo ground handling operations

Image: © Jaromir Chalabala/ Shutterstock

Conflict in the Middle East has put a stop to flights in and out of the region, with major operators declaring that air cargo operations are currently disrupted.

This is a developing story. Air Cargo News will make updates as more information becomes available.

Middle East carriers including Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad have suspended flights.

Qatar Airways said on its website: “Qatar Airways Cargo flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Qatar Airways Cargo will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.”

Emirates SkyCargo said: “Due to the current uncertain situation and evolving airspace restrictions, our flights are suspended until 1500hrs UAE time on Tuesday, 3 March, and we are placing temporary restrictions on the booking and acceptance of all new shipments on our flights for the next 24 hours.”

Meanwhile, Etihad stated: “Regional airspace closures continue to impact Etihad Airways’ operations, and all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 14:00 UAE time on Tuesday 3 March.”

Oman Air Cargo added that it is experiencing some operational disruption, but general cargo operations continue as normal, though perishables transportation has been temporarily restricted.

“Services to Europe and the Asia Pacific region continue to operate as scheduled, with rerouting implemented where required and minor delays in some instances.”

Airlines headquartered outside the Middle East have also suspended operations. Lufthansa Cargo said that “Lufthansa Cargo, together with the Lufthansa Group, will suspend flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam, and Tehran until March 8”.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cargo’s latest service update on 28 February indicated that some operations in the region were still taking place.

The carrier said: “Some of our flights to/from the following destinations have been cancelled: Bahrain, Dammam and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria and United Arab Emirates.”

IAG Cargo said that while flights between London and Jeddah and Riyadh “continue to operate as scheduled”, other flight routes have been put on hold.

“Flights between London and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv are suspended until 4th March 2026,” said the carrier in a service update.

It added: “Flights between London and Larnaca are suspended on 2nd March 2026. Flights between Madrid and Doha are suspended until 4th March 2026. Flights between Madrid and Tel Aviv are suspended until 10th March 2026.”

Rotate said its data shows global air cargo capacity is down 18% as a result of flights being suspended or rerouted.

In a LinkedIn post on 1 March, Tim van Leeuwen, vice president and head of consulting at Rotate said: “Having reported yesterday that around 12% of global air cargo capacity would be directly impacted by Middle East airspace closures, 24 hours later Rotate Live Capacity data shows global capacity down -18% in the last 24hrs compared to last week, driven by:

“1 Middle East carriers (Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad, etc.) suspending all flights – until at least Monday noon

“2 Other carriers no longer serving the Gulf, either, with no immediate redeployment options.

“3 Carriers re-routing freighters to different tech stops, or skipping them altogether (with accompanying payload restrictions). This explains the +22% capacity increase on Asia-Europe caused by airlines either switching tech stops to Central Asia, or flying direct instead.”

Further, Aevean’s research showed extensive airspace closures has resulted in air cargo capacity on the Asia-Middle East-Europe corridor decreasing by more than 40% week-on-week on some routes.

Data compared the weekend of 21-22 February to the weekend of 28 February-1 March.

Overall capacity, including Asia-Middle East-Europe and excluding intra-Asia and Africa-Europe, is down 26% in ACTK terms.

Direct Asia-Europe capacity was up 13-14%.

Comparing 21 February to 28 February, Aevean’s data showed China/Hong Kong–Europe capacity was up 34%, while indirect China/Hong Kong-Europe capacity via the Gulf was down 75%.

Several non-Gulf airports have also had strong indirect (enroute tech stop) capacity increases. Capacity is up 211% at Almaty International (ALA), 51% at Tbilisi International (TBS) and 23% at Istanbul (IST). Heydar Aliyev International in Baku (GYD) is down 69% due to its proximity to the Iranian border.

Fuel prices have jumped as well. The conflict has resulted in forced shutdowns of oil and gas facilities across the Middle East.

20% of global jet fuel flows through Strait of Hormuz off Saudi Arabia and the premium for near-term jet fuel deliveries doubled over the weekend, noted Aevean.

Operational cancellations extend to ocean shipping too, according to advisories published by major container shipping companies.

MSC has suspended all cargo bookings to the Middle East.

CMA CGM said in an advisory on 28 February that all ships in the Gulf area should proceed to shelter and passage through the Suez Canal has been suspended until further notice, and vessels will be rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope.

It further stated on 1 March that all reefer bookings to a number of countries would be suspended with immediate effect.

Maersk also said on 1 March that it had paused Trans Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and all sailings on the ME11 (Middle East-India to Mediterranean) and MECL (Middle East-India to East Coast US) services would be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope.

 

US forwarders welcome Supreme Court ruling on tariffs

By Damian Brett | 23 February 2026

Containers, shipping, trade

Image: Shutterstock © Strikernia

US airfreight forwarders have welcomed Friday’s Supreme Court’s decision to scrap the sweeping tariffs introduced by president Donald Trump last year – although he later announced a new 15% tariff.

On Friday, the US Supreme Court overturned the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

This includes global reciprocal tariffs, as well as tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada to stop the flow of fentanyl. Other tariffs are not affected by the ruling.

The airfreight forwarder association said the decision “should bring a degree of clarity for US businesses that rely on international trade”, although the president later announced plans to introduce a global tariff of 15%.

“Our members have seen firsthand how tariff measures negatively impact shipping volumes, pricing, and supply chain planning, and greater stability in trade policy is critical for the movement of goods,” the Airforwarders Association (AfA) said in a statement.

“While this ruling may reduce some immediate cost pressures, uncertainty around future trade actions continues to complicate long-term planning for importers, exporters, and the logistics providers that support them.”

The AfA called for clarity on how any tariff refunds will be processed, including the timeline, administrative requirements, and eligibility criteria, to ensure businesses can plan with confidence and reduce unnecessary costs.

Meanwhile, forwarder CH Robinson said “significant unknowns remain” following the court ruling.

“The Court did not address remedies or refunds, leaving those issues to be decided by the administration, Congress or litigation,” the forwarder said.

The forwarder recommended that companies should continue to build resilience into their supply chains.

“Importers should explore cost-reduction strategies such as diversifying sourcing, using free trade zones, and optimising transportation and warehousing.”

 

Following the Supreme Court ruling, an executive order was issued bringing in a new temporary 10% tariff for all goods – except those with exemptions – under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act that is due to come into force tomorrow. The tariffs can last up to 150 days.

Over the weekend, Trump had said the rate would be increased to 15% under section 122.

The suspension of the de minimis exemption will continue, according to the executive order.

Customs and Border Protection has told companies this morning that it would stop collecting the IEEPA tariffs at 12.01am on Tuesday.

US trade negotiators have said that countries that have struck trade deals with the US will not have their tariff rate increased, although the Supreme Court ruled that tariffs imposed in those deals were illegal.

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the 2026 World Cargo Symposium (WCS) will focus on “Advancing Air Cargo in a Dynamic World”. Under this theme, the symposium will take stock of changing global trade conditions as it examines regulatory priorities, developments in special cargo, and progress on digitalization in specialized streams. WCS will be held in Lima, Peru from 10 to 12 March hosted by LATAM Cargo. It is the first time the event will be held in South America.

“Tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty have reshaped global trade and supply chains. The 3.4% growth pattern in air cargo demand in 2025 was strongly influenced by these developments and we can expect more of the same for 2026. This year’s WCS will focus on further strengthening air cargo’s ability to respond quickly and effectively as trade lanes shift and the value of speed and reliability across the supply chain grows,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

“Air cargo plays a vital role in connecting South America to global markets and supporting the region’s trade and economic development. Hosting the World Cargo Symposium in South America for the first time is a recognition of the region’s growing importance in global air cargo. LATAM Cargo is proud to support a forum that brings the industry together to advance regulatory priorities, digitalization, and the evolving demands of special cargo in a dynamic global environment. We look forward to connecting with our partners and stakeholders in Lima to drive meaningful progress across the industry,” said Andres Bianchi, Chief Executive Officer, LATAM Cargo.

Speakers & Sessions

Walsh and Bianchi will be speaking at the event along with:

• Teresa Mera Gómez, Minister of Trade & Tourism for Peru
• Roberto Alvo, Chief Executive Officer, LATAM Airlines Group
• Ali Faddis, Director Global Aviation Operations, Amazon Global Air Technology & Infrastructure
• Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo
• Julia Seiermann, IATA’s Head of Industry Analysis

In addition to its main conference streams (digitalization, regulation, and special cargo), WCS will feature three spotlight sessions exploring practical pathways for the supply chain to: improve sustainability practices, accelerate the adoption of new technologies and processes, and enhance operational efficiency and resilience.

Air cargo volumes continue strong start to the year

By Damian BrettDamian Brett27 January 2026

Chargeable weight nears pre-holiday levels as Middle East South Asia region leads with 15% growth, though comparisons remain complicated by timing shifts

Cargo waiting to be loaded

Air cargo volumes have continued their strong start to the year, with improvements being registered out of most regions, according to the latest weekly report from data provider WorldACD.

The analytics firm said that worldwide air cargo volumes increased by 5% year on year in the second full week of January, running to 18 January, with tonnages recovering after the post-Christmas slowdown from all the main world origin regions.

WorldACD said that chargeable weight is now close to pre-holiday levels and is around 10% down on the mid-December peak season.

Tonnages were up year on year from most of the main origin regions, including gains from Middle East South Asia (MESA) of 15%, Africa 9%, Asia Pacific 6%, Central & South America 5%, and North America 2%, with only Europe down slightly by 1%.

“Chargeable weight patterns of the past five weeks from each of those six origin regions are remarkably similar to their equivalent periods a year earlier, with the only significant difference being the relatively elevated tonnages of the past five weeks, compared with a year earlier.”

WorldACD has previously said that 2025 had got off to a slow start, which may explain some of the improvements registered this year. Comparisons are also complicated by the timing of the Chinese New Year holiday, which takes place on 17 February this year, compared with 29 January in 2025.

The figures also revealed that of the two main east-west tradelanes, demand is improving faster from Asia Pacific to Europe than it is from Asia Pacific to North America.

“Tonnages in week three from Asia Pacific to Europe were up 19% year on year, with strong growth from all the region’s major origin countries except for Japan (-3%) and South Korea (+1%),” WorldACD said.

Demand from China to Europe was up 17%, from Hong Kong 30% and Taiwan, along with “strong double-digit percentage rises” from Southeast Asia origins, especially Thailand (32%) and Malaysia (26%).

Meanwhile, tonnages in week three from Asia Pacific to the US were up by a “healthy” 6% year on year, but “there were huge disparities” between the performances of volumes from China and Hong Kong (-12%), compared with the “very strong” year-on-year growth from South Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, with “volumes to the US from Vietnam and Thailand, for example, up by around 50%, YoY – as they have been for several months”.

Meanwhile, tonnages in week three from Asia Pacific to the US were up by a “healthy” 6% year on year, but “there were huge disparities” between the performances of volumes from China and Hong Kong (-12%), compared with the “very strong” year-on-year growth from South Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, with “volumes to the US from Vietnam and Thailand, for example, up by around 50%, YoY – as they have been for several months”.

Source: WorldACD

 

By Damian BrettDamian Brett14 January 2026

Production bottlenecks and extended passenger aircraft service life are limiting freighter availability, driving up costs and utilisation rates

Widebody airfreight capacity is expected to continue to come under pressure in 2026 and the coming years as the backlog of aircraft on order remains at historic highs.

Speaking at a meeting with the media, Julia Seiermann, IATA head of industry analysis, said that the ongoing global aircraft shortage had an impact on the cargo sector last year and the trend is expected to continue.

Seiermann said that aircraft availability remains one of the most significant constraints in the airline industry and for industry growth.

She pointed to statistics showing that the order backlog has now exceeded 17,000 aircraft, which corresponds with nearly 60% of the active fleet and is 11 times the number of aircraft that are delivered each year.

“What this means is that even under the expectation that production and deliveries will accelerate in 2026, which is now the view of analysts, normalisation is unlikely to occur before the early 2030s,” Seiermann said.

She said the aircraft production is faced with the challenge of engine availability, longer certification processes and supply chain challenges for aircraft components.

Seiermann added that the number of cargo aircraft being added to the fleet, when deliveries and retirements are taken into account, had fallen in both 2024 and 2025.

She explained that passenger firms are holding onto their older aircraft longer because of the slowdown in deliveries, which is in turn limiting the amount of feedstock available for conversion into cargo aircraft.

This shortage of aircraft and engines is also pushing up the price of the overall conversion. The cost of a GE90 engine used on the 777 has shot up 69%.

According to IBA, the half-life value of the 777-300ER has soared 78% to around $47.6m, up from the 2022 trough of $26.7m in 2022.

“This is due to both a bit of a slow down in new aircraft deliveries but also a steep drop in conversions becuase the airlines that used to convert passenger aircraft after a certain time of service are now keeping them longer and longer becuase they can’t get any new planes and that means that they are not being coverted for cargo use as early as they used to be,” she explained.

“To compensate for this, airlines have pushed the utilisation of the fleet to historic highs, and on the cargo side, we see now that the average age of a cargo widebody is 19.6 years.”

She said that the higher fleet utilisation and a higher load factor were helping to sustain rate levels, but she added that it also resulted in increased maintenance costs and lower fuel efficiency.

IATA estimates that maintenance costs in 2025 were up $3.1bn, engine leasing costs jumped $2.6bn and the cost associated with larger inventories of spare parts expanded by $1.4bn.

The biggest hit came from extra fuel to run older planes, which added a whopping $4.2bn to collective airline costs.

“At some point, this strategy will reach its limits when aircraft will need to be retired, and then shortages may become even more pronounced.”

In December, IATA predicted that in 2026 air cargo demand would year on year by 2.6% in cargo tonne km (CTK) to 289.5bn CTK or by 2.4% in tonnage terms to 71.6m tonnes.

The cargo load factor for the year is projected to increase by 0.2 percentage points to 46% – its highest level since 2022.

Despite this increase in load factor, rates are expected to fall by 0.5%. However, the increase in demand will offset the decrease in rates to see airline cargo revenues increase by 2.1% year on year to $158bn.

“For 2026, we expect air cargo demand to continue to expand, albeit at a slower pace than in 2025, in line with softening global trade,” IATA said in its recently published global outlook report.

“The slowdown is unlikely to be as pronounced as the general trade deceleration, as air cargo continues to benefit from rising demand for high-value, time-sensitive goods, particularly driven by e-commerce and semiconductors.

“Persistent global uncertainties around tariffs and supply chain disruptions will reinforce air transport’s role as the most reliable mode of delivery.”

Demand growth is likely to be led by Asia Pacific at 6%. Other regions should grow around 2%, while the Middle East will stagnate, and North America will edge down by 0.5%.

 

 

By Rebecca JeffreyRebecca Jeffrey9 January 2026

Carrier plans to expand SmartIST terminal capacity to 4.5m tonnes annually by 2028 and launch a dedicated e-commerce facility in 2026

Turkish Airlines is making major cargo investments

Turkish Airlines is making major cargo investments

Turkish Airlines has announced the second phase of its SmartIST air cargo terminal and a new e-commerce facility to further support Turkish Cargo’s business growth.

Air Cargo News published a news story on 2 January that detailed how Turkish reportedly planned to build a new cargo terminal, although the airline did not release details at the time.

In a press release yesterday, Turkish said the next development stage of SmartIST will enable the terminal to reach an annual capacity of 4.5m tons. Work is planned to be completed gradually during the 2027-2028 period.

Inaugurated in February 2022, SmartIST currently has an annual handling capacity of 2.2m tonnes. The facility includes specialised facilities such as temperature-controlled cold storage zones, dedicated pharmaceutical areas and designated sections for hazardous and radioactive materials.

Turkish is also planning a new e-commerce complex that is planned to enter service this year. The airline said the facility would support its e-commerce door-to-door delivery service.

In 2023, the airline announced it would provide door-to-door cargo services via a new subsidiary, THY Hava Kargo Taşımacılığı A.Ş.

Established specifically for the needs of the e-commerce sector, THY offers integrated air cargo solutions for its corporate customers in the e-commerce logistics sector under the Widect brand.

Widect aims to maximise Türkiye’s potential in the international express market with its wide flight network and direct connection opportunities.

Overall, Turkish has committed to building eight new facilities with a total investment value exceeding TRY100bn at several locations, primarily iGA Istanbul Airport.

Aside from the SmartIST Phase 2 project and the e-commerce facility, the company will invest in a new in-flight catering facility, a Turkish Technic engine maintenance centre, additional aircraft maintenance hangars to increase capability by an average of 20%, a data centre to improve technology capacity, a flight training centre, and an additional crew terminal building.

Commenting on the new investments, Turkish Airlines chairman of the board and the executive committee, Ahmet Bolat said: “In line with our 2033 targets, we are developing not only our fleet but also the robust infrastructure that will allow us to fully utilise this fleet.

“This investment initiative, exceeding TRY100bn and spanning from our cargo operations to our technical maintenance capacity, from our catering centers to integrated operational solutions, strengthens our global competitiveness and is a concrete evidence of our vision to make Türkiye one of the world’s foremost aviation hubs.

“These investments, which will provide 26,000 new jobs in 2026, will increase to 36,000 when all phases are completed. With these steps, we are building not only facilities but also an ecosystem for the future of our country’s economy and aviation sector.

“Today, our company’s contribution to our country’s economy is $65bn, and when we reach our 2033 goals, this figure will reach $144bn.”

 

January 5, 2026 by PLA Editor

association of asia pacific airlines

Preliminary November 2025 traffic figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed continued strong growth in both international air passenger and cargo markets. Travel demand remained robust within the region and across key long-haul routes, while inventory restocking and increased e-commerce activity heading into the year-end festive season supported further expansion in air cargo demand.

Overall, the number of international passengers carried by Asia Pacific airlines increased by 8.3% year-on-year in November to a combined total of 32.9 million. Measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), demand grew by 9.0% compared to the same month in 2024, outpacing the 8.0% expansion in available seat capacity. As a result, the average international passenger load factor rose by 0.8 percentage points to 83.2% for the month.

Reflecting increased export activity from Asian economies, particularly in South-East Asia and India, Asia Pacific carriers recorded a 6.2% year-on-year increase in international air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), in November. Offered freight capacity rose by 7.2% year-on-year, resulting in a marginal 0.6 percentage point decline in the average international freight load factor to 61.9% for the month.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Subhas Menon, AAPA Director General, said, “Continued robust growth in both leisure and business travel propelled passenger demand higher in November, contributing to a solid 10% increase in the number of international passengers carried for the first eleven months of the year, to a total of 355 million.”

“Meanwhile, Asian carriers benefitted from strong demand for the timely shipment of goods, consistent with past traffic trends for this time of the year. Overall, air cargo demand remained resilient over the year, rising by 5.6% year-on-year for the first eleven months of 2025, as supply chains increasingly shifted towards other economies in Asia.”

Looking ahead, Mr. Menon concluded, “The overall outlook is positive, with passenger demand expected to record further growth in 2026. Intensifying market competition is placing pressure on yields, while airlines continue to face cost pressures arising from persistent supply chain challenges. Although the decline in oil prices provides some relief, airlines remain vigilant in managing costs to maintain profitability.”

8 January 2026   No. 1

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for November 2025 global air cargo markets showing:

• Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose by 5.5% compared to November 2024 levels (+6.9% for international operations).
• Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 4.7% compared to November 2024 (+6.5% for international operations).

“Air cargo demand grew 5.5% year-on-year in November 2025, boosted by shippers prioritizing timely delivery in the lead-up to the year-end holiday season. Strong emerging market demand and selective Middle Eastern growth more than made-up for softness in the Americas amid ongoing adjustment to the new US tariff regime. Globally, the fourth quarter for air cargo was resilient as strategic re-routing of trade shaped performance across key markets. The strong end for 2025 bodes well for the air cargo industry as it enters the new year,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:

• The global goods trade grew by 3.2% year-on-year in October.
• Jet fuel prices rose 5.9% in November despite falling crude prices, driven by refinery disruptions, EU restrictions on Russian-derived products, and limited spare refining capacity, pushing crack spreads close to double last year’s levels.
• Global manufacturing sentiment strengthened in November, with the PMI rising for the fourth consecutive month to reach 51.17. New export orders improved slightly to 49.87, but remained below the 50-point expansion threshold, reflecting ongoing caution amid tariff uncertainty.

Air cargo market in detail – November 2025

November 2025

(% year-on-year)             World share1     CTK        ACTK     CLF (%-pt)           CLF (level)

Total Market      100%     5.5%      4.7%      0.4%      49.1%

Africa    2.0%      15.6%    18.1%    -0.9%     44.2%

Asia Pacific          34.3%    10.3%    8.4%      0.9%      50.2%

Europe 21.5%    5.8%      4.1%      0.9%      57.9%

Latin America and Caribbean      2.9%      -4.8%     -3.0%     -0.7%     39.6%

Middle East        13.6%    7.4%      11.0%    -1.6%     47.8%

North America  25.7%    -1.6%     -2.3%     0.3%      44.1%

1% of industry CTKs in 2024

November Regional Performance

Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 10.3% year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in November. Capacity increased by 8.4% year-on-year.

North American carriers saw a 1.6% year-on-year decrease in growth for air cargo in November. Capacity decreased by 2.3% year-on-year.

European carriers saw a 5.8% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in November. Capacity increased 4.1% year-on-year.

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 7.4% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in November. Capacity increased by 11.0% year-on-year.

Latin American and Caribbean carriers saw a 4.8% year-on-year decrease in demand for air cargo in November, the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity decreased by 3.0% year-on-year.

African airlines saw a 15.6% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in November, the strongest rise of all regions. Capacity increased by 18.1% year-on-year.

Trade Lane Growth

Air freight volumes in November 2025 increased across all major trade corridors.

 

Trade Lane          YOY Growth       Notes    Market Share of Industry*

Asia-North America        +1.8%    1 month of growth          24.6%

Europe-Asia       +11.7% 33 consecutive months of growth            20.4%

Middle East-Europe        +5.4%    1 month of growth          5.6%

Middle East-Asia              +11.1% 9 consecutive months of growth               7.3%

Within Asia         +15.8% 25 consecutive months of growth            7.0%

Within Europe   -4.9%     4 consecutive months of decline               2.0%

North America-Europe  +5.0%    22 consecutive months of growth            13.3%

Africa-Asia          +9.5%    5 consecutive months of growth               1.4%

 

 

By Rebecca JeffreyRebecca Jeffrey12 December 2025

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Investigation uncovers three separate alleged schemes involving fraudulent invoices and kickbacks to secure cargo contracts

Worawee-Meepianshutterstock_2259492687

Individuals in the US air cargo industry have been charged with alleged bribery and money laundering crimes committed over several years to secure favourable contracts.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James said in a press release that an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority) had uncovered three alleged bribery and money laundering schemes by companies working out of New York JFK Airport.

At this stage, the charges in the indictments are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The accused had allegedly used fraudulent invoices and cash payments to bribe an airline employee in order to secure contracts for cargo companies they owned.

In the first indictment, the charged co-conspirators allegedly agreed to pay an airline employee cash every quarter and paid for trips, as well as meals and other expenses incurred on the trips, in exchange for receiving continued contracts.

The second indictment alleged a separate bribery scheme where an airline employee at the airport agreed to ensure its business in exchange for a percentage of earnings achieved through the contract.

The third alleged scheme involved another company with an airline employee receiving two or three dollars each time a product was sold to the airline. The money was allegedly paid through an intermediary company that would keep half of the money, the press release claimed.

“We’re grateful for our strong partnership with the Attorney General’s Office that helped us uncover these alleged schemes inside JFK’s cargo operations,” said Port Authority inspector general John Gay.

“Blatant bribes, fake invoices, and vacation kickbacks have no place in an environment that depends on honesty and accountability. Our office will continue to pursue anyone who attempts to compromise the safety and integrity of the region’s critical transportation infrastructure.”