African airlines recorded a 7.7% year-on-year increase in air cargo demand in April 2026, reflecting sustained growth in freight activity across the continent’s aviation sector.
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This was contained in the April 2026 global air cargo market data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global trade body for airlines.
The performance built on a broader run of strong momentum for African carriers, both so far in 2026 and towards the end of 2025, supported by strengthening global trade flows, particularly on Africa–Asia routes.
What IATA is saying
According to IATA, African airlines remained among the stronger-performing regions in April 2026, as demand continued to grow despite tightening capacity conditions.
- Air cargo demand for African carriers rose by 7.7% year-on-year in April, while available capacity declined by 9.4% over the same period. The mismatch points to stronger demand pressure on limited freight space, even as overall activity increased.
- “African airlines saw a 7.7% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in April. Capacity decreased by 9.4% year-on-year,” the report stated.
- Globally, total air cargo demand rose by 4.0% compared to April 2025 levels, driven largely by robust Asia-linked trade flows. However, global capacity declined by 0.4%, indicating a mild contraction in available cargo space across the industry.
IATA attributed overall market performance to a complex operating environment, including geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East, higher fuel and oil prices, and shifting global trade dynamics.
More insights
Performance across regions was mixed in April 2026, with clear differences in both demand and capacity trends.
Asia-Pacific airlines led global growth, with demand rising by 10.5% year-on-year and capacity increasing by 5.3%, supported by strong manufacturing output and export activity.
- European carriers recorded a 6.0% increase in demand and a 3.0% rise in capacity, reflecting stable industrial production and relatively steady trade conditions.
- North American airlines posted a 5.0% increase in demand, alongside a 1.2% rise in capacity, indicating moderate but stable growth in freight activity.
- In contrast, Middle Eastern carriers saw a sharp downturn, with demand falling by 18.2% and capacity dropping by 22.9%, largely due to severe disruptions linked to ongoing regional conflict that affected key cargo hubs and trade routes.
Latin American and Caribbean airlines recorded a 2.8% decline in demand, despite a 1.2% increase in capacity, pointing to weaker freight uptake amid softer market conditions.
The report also showed divergent performance across major trade lanes. Africa–Asia routes led global growth, followed by Asia–Europe routes, while intra-Asia trade remained resilient on strong regional manufacturing activity.
Gulf-linked corridors were among the most disrupted due to ongoing instability in the Middle East.
What you should know
African airlines have maintained a steady upward trajectory in air cargo performance, with sustained gains recorded both in 2026 and in the final months of 2025.
In March 2026, African carriers led global cargo growth with a 7.0% year-on-year increase in demand, even as global demand declined by 4.8%.
In February 2026, cargo demand surged by 21%, driven by a sharp 61.9% expansion in Africa–Asia trade lane activity.
In January 2026, demand rose by 18.2%, with the Africa–Asia corridor also posting strong growth of 41.6%.
The upward trend had already emerged in December 2025, when demand increased by 10.1%, alongside a 9.8% rise in capacity, reflecting gradual network expansion by African carriers.
Earlier, in November 2025, cargo volumes grew by 15.6%, while capacity increased by 18.1%, indicating that airlines were already scaling operations in response to rising freight demand.
