African airlines record 7.7% rise in air cargo demand for April 2026
By Aboki Forex —
African airlines saw a 7.7% year-on-year increase in air cargo demand in April 2026, according to the latest global air cargo market data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The growth builds on strong momentum from late 2025 and early 2026, driven by rising trade flows on Africa–Asia routes.
Capacity, however, shrank by 9.4% year-on-year, putting pressure on limited freight space. Despite this, African carriers remained among the stronger performing regions globally.
Globally, total air cargo demand rose by 4.0% in April 2026 compared to the same month in 2025. Global capacity fell by 0.4%. IATA attributed the mixed performance to geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East, higher fuel prices, and shifting trade dynamics.
Regional performance breakdown
Asia-Pacific airlines led global growth with a 10.5% demand increase and 5.3% capacity rise. European carriers recorded a 6.0% demand increase and 3.0% capacity growth. North American airlines posted a 5.0% rise in demand and 1.2% capacity increase.
Middle Eastern carriers suffered a sharp downturn. Demand fell by 18.2% and capacity dropped by 22.9%, due to ongoing regional conflict affecting key cargo hubs. Latin American and Caribbean airlines saw demand decline by 2.8% despite a 1.2% capacity increase.
Africa–Asia routes led global trade lane growth, followed by Asia–Europe routes. Intra-Asia trade remained resilient. Gulf-linked corridors faced the most disruption.
What you should know
African airlines have sustained steady cargo growth. In March 2026, demand rose 7.0% year-on-year while global demand fell 4.8%. In February 2026, cargo demand surged 21% on a 61.9% expansion in Africa–Asia trade. January 2026 saw an 18.2% increase, with Africa–Asia routes up 41.6%.
The upward trend began in late 2025. December 2025 recorded a 10.1% demand rise and 9.8% capacity increase. November 2025 saw cargo volumes grow 15.6% and capacity expand 18.1%.