KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 — Global demand for international air cargo, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres, fell by 4.8 per cent in March this year compared with March 2025 levels (-5.5 per cent for international operations), said the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres, decreased by 4.7 per cent versus March 2025 (-6.8 per cent for international operations).
IATA's director general Willie Walsh said the drop in air cargo demand was mostly due to severe disruptions at major Gulf hubs due to the war in West Asia.
The timing of the usual post-Lunar New Year slowdown also added to the decline.
He added that the underlying demand trends, at this point, appear strong, and the recent World Trade Organisation and International Monetary Fund revisions to trade and gross domestic product projections continue to point to growth in 2026.
"Importantly, air cargo networks are providing the flexibility needed to support global supply chains as they adjust to geopolitical, tariff and operational strains.
"All eyes are on fuel supply and price, which are expected to test the industry’s resilience in the coming months," Walsh said in a statement issued in conjunction with the release of IATA's data for March 2026 global air cargo markets.
On regional performance, he said the Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 5.4 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in air cargo demand in March, while capacity increased by five per cent y-o-y.
Meanwhile, on trade lane growth, air cargo performance diverged across major trade lanes in March.
Africa-Asia led growth, followed by Asia-Europe, with intra-Asia trade flows also remaining strong. In contrast, Walsh noted that Gulf-linked corridors were severely disrupted by the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
IATA represents over 360 airlines accounting for some 85 per cent of global air traffic.
