Global Air Cargo Ends 2025 on a High as Data-Driven Routing and Agile Capacity Strategies Power Resilient Growth

Despite fuel and cost pressures, airlines leveraged selective capacity deployment and digitally informed routing decisions to maintain load factors and protect yields.

The global air cargo industry closed 2025 with renewed momentum, as demand rose 5.5% year-on-year in November, outpacing capacity growth and underscoring how data-led logistics, strategic re-routing, and speed-critical delivery models are reshaping global trade, according to new figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Total cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), increased 5.5% compared with November 2024 (+6.9% for international operations), while available capacity (ACTK) grew 4.7% (+6.5% internationally). The result: a resilient fourth quarter driven by shippers prioritizing time-definite delivery, supply-chain agility, and digitally optimized trade flows ahead of the year-end holiday season.

“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,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “Strategic re-routing of trade shaped performance across key markets, and the strong end for 2025 bodes well for the air cargo industry as it enters the new year.”

Innovation Is Redefining Global Air Freight

The November performance highlights how advanced analytics, real-time capacity management, and smarter network planning are allowing carriers and logistics providers to adapt rapidly to shifting trade patterns, tariff changes, and regional disruptions.

Key operating environment signals include:

• Global goods trade up 2% year-on-year in October, supporting air freight volumes

• Jet fuel prices up 5.9% in November, driven by refining constraints and geopolitical restrictions, increasing the premium on efficient operations

• Manufacturing sentiment strengthening, with global PMI rising to 51.17, its fourth consecutive monthly increase

Despite fuel and cost pressures, airlines leveraged selective capacity deployment and digitally informed routing decisions to maintain load factors and protect yields.

Regional Performance Shows Where Innovation Is Winning

• Asia-Pacific led major markets with 10.3% demand growth, supported by strong intra-Asia trade and Asia–Europe corridors

• Africa posted the fastest growth globally at 15.6%, reflecting expanding trade integration and improved air cargo connectivity

• Europe grew 5.8%, maintaining the industry’s highest load factor at 57.9%

• Middle East demand rose 7.4%, as carriers expanded hub-and-spoke and transshipment strategies

• North America and Latin America saw softer results, reflecting tariff adjustments and economic recalibration

Trade lanes with sustained momentum included Europe–Asia (+11.7%), Within Asia (+15.8%), and North America–Europe (+5.0%), highlighting the role of long-term digital optimization rather than short-term volatility.

A Call to Early Adopters in Air Cargo and Logistics Tech

As the industry enters 2026, IATA’s data points to a clear opportunity for:

• Airlines and freight forwarders to adopt AI-driven demand forecasting and dynamic pricing tools

• Logistics platforms and cargo-tech startups to scale real-time tracking, predictive routing, and capacity optimization solutions

• Shippers and e-commerce players to integrate air cargo into digitally orchestrated, speed-first supply chains

Those investing early in data intelligence, automation, and resilient network design stand to gain a competitive edge as global trade patterns continue to evolve.

“With resilience proven in 2025,” Walsh noted, “the air cargo sector is entering the new year positioned for innovation-led growth.”