Global air cargo demand up 7.7% in September — Asia–North America up 17%, jet fuel twice last year's price
IATA released its September 2026 air cargo market data on Oct 29. Demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose 7.7% year on year (8.6% for international operations), while capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), grew 2.7% (3.3% international). With demand outpacing capacity, the load factor rose 2.2 points to 47.9%, and every region recorded growth.
● By region: North American carriers +11.8%, Asia-Pacific +8.6%, Latin America +6.7%, Africa +4.7%, Europe +4.5%, Middle East +3.8%. ● Asia-Pacific: demand up 8.6% against capacity up 4.9%, for a load factor of 50.7% (+1.7 points). ● By trade lane: Asia–North America +17.0% (eighth straight month of growth), within Asia +10.2% (35 months), Europe–North America +9.3%, Europe–Asia +6.0%. Middle East–Asia (-10.2%) and Europe–Middle East (-18.0%) contracted for a seventh month. ● Drivers: IATA cited AI-related shipments as a key contributor to double-digit growth across the Pacific. Global trade grew 3.6% in August, the 42nd straight month of expansion, and the global manufacturing output PMI (53.8) and new export orders index (51.9) were at five-year highs.
The challenge is cost. Jet fuel rose 17.5% month on month in September and was 103.4% higher than a year earlier. IATA chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen noted that fuel prices have more than doubled while yields have not kept pace. Airlines may keep adjusting fuel surcharges, so for year-end air shipments it is worth confirming how surcharges are applied when you request a quote.
With more high-value cargo such as chips and electronic parts moving from Asia to North America, space on US-bound flights may tighten toward year end. If you have air export plans, let Kaltstart's operations team (+82-2-2135-3351) know early and we will arrange quotes and bookings around flight schedules and cargo cut-offs.
Source: IATA, "Air Cargo Demand Accelerates in September, Up 7.7%" (Oct 29, 2026) https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2026-releases/10-29-air-cargo-demand-accelerates-september/