IATA: Global air cargo up 6% in May, Middle East conflict trims demand

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that global air‑cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne‑kilometres (CTK), rose 6 % year‑on‑year in May 2026, while available capacity (ACTK) increased 1.9 %. The cargo load factor improved by 1.8 percentage points to 46.3 %. Africa posted the strongest gain with demand up 13.3 %, followed by North America (+10.5 %), Asia‑Pacific (+8 %), Europe (+6.7 %) and Latin America (+1.9 %). In contrast, carriers based in the Middle East saw demand fall 8.9 % and capacity drop 9.2 % as the ongoing Iran‑related conflict disrupted operations.

IATA also said global passenger demand fell 2.2 % year‑on‑year in May, driven mainly by a 28.4 % decline among Middle‑East airlines. Excluding the region, demand rose 0.7 %, and the overall passenger load factor reached a record 83.5 %. Africa’s airlines recorded a 6.6 % increase in passenger demand and an 8.9 % rise in international traffic.

Earlier in the year, Asian carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air and ANA captured a temporary windfall on Europe routes after Gulf hubs were closed by the Iran conflict. As Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad have resumed flights and lowered fares, those gains are waning and load‑factor improvements are normalising.