African airlines recorded one of the strongest global performances in July 2025 with a 9.4% year-on-year increase in air cargo demand, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) report said.
The surge in freight volumes underscores Africa’s growing role in global trade, even though cargo capacity for the region dipped slightly by 0.1% compared to the same period in 2024.
The IATA report, which tracked global air cargo markets, showed that Africa’s growth outpaced many peers, highlighting increasing demand for exports such as perishables, raw materials, and manufactured goods linked to Africa–Asia trade routes.
In comparison, Asia-Pacific carriers led the global cargo market with 11.1% growth, boosted by Europe-Asia volumes which rose 13.5%, extending a 29-month streak of gains. Regional capacity also expanded 7.3%.
European airlines posted a 4.1% increase in demand with capacity rising 4.0%, while Middle Eastern carriers registered 2.6% growth against a 5.9% rise in capacity.
Latin America’s carriers grew 2.4% with capacity up 3.8%. North America, however, recorded the weakest performance with just 0.7% growth, as volumes on the Asia–North America corridor slipped 1.0% following U.S. policy changes affecting e-commerce shipments.
Globally, air cargo demand measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs) rose 5.5% year-on-year, while international operations recorded a stronger 6.0% growth. Cargo capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), increased 3.9% worldwide.
Trade lane data showed mixed results. Africa–Asia freight volumes jumped 12.1%, underlining Asia’s role as a key growth driver for African exports, though the route accounted for only 1.4%of global volumes.
Within Asia, demand rose 10.3%, extending 21 months of growth, while North America–Europe traffic grew 9.6% after 18 months of steady expansion. The Middle East–Asia corridor climbed 8.5%, but the Middle East–Europe route edged up by just 0.3%.
Economically, global goods trade expanded 3.1% in June, supporting the rise in air freight. Falling jet fuel prices, which were down 9.1% compared to July 2024, provided cost relief for airlines.
However, concerns about weaker global manufacturing persisted as the Purchasing Managers’ Index slipped below the 50 threshold, signaling contraction amid trade policy uncertainty.
Importantly, Africa’s cargo growth offers opportunities for regional carriers to strengthen competitiveness, provided they invest in infrastructure and partnerships to handle rising demand.
The strong performance, positions Africa as an increasingly important hub for international supply chains.
