# Global air cargo and passenger demand trends > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/global-air-cargo-and-passenger-demand-trends > Updated: 2026-09-03T03:13:37.000Z. Sources: 32. Developments: 3. In July 2026, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a 3.9% increase in global air cargo demand compared to the previous year, with international cargo demand specifically rising by 4.7%. North American airlines led regional growth with a 4.8% increase, while the Asia-North America trade corridor saw a 9.2% expansion. Other regional cargo growth included Europe at 4.4% and Asia-Pacific at 4.1%. Global air travel demand saw a modest 0.2% increase in July, setting a new record for the month despite slim overall growth. While total industry capacity increased by 0.3%, the load factor saw a slight decrease to 85.2%. When excluding Middle Eastern carriers, international passenger demand rose by 1.2% to 1.5%. Regional performance was highly varied: the Middle East experienced a 9.5% decline in passenger demand, attributed largely to regional conflicts, while the Europe-Asia corridor saw traffic surge by 12.1%. Europe specifically saw a 3.1% increase in demand. Conversely, North American demand fell by 2.3%, and the Asia-Pacific region experienced a 0.7% decline. Latin America and the Caribbean saw a 6.1% increase, and Africa grew by 5.2% to 6.4%. In domestic markets, China and Brazil led with growth of 5.3% and 6.0% respectively, whereas India and the United States saw decreases. IATA noted a continuing trend where dedicated freighters are gaining market share as belly-hold traffic in passenger aircraft declines. The industry faces significant risks from geopolitical tensions, tariff uncertainties, and sharply rising jet fuel prices. Fuel costs were reported to be 56.9% higher than a year ago, with a 12.2% increase noted in July alone. Looking ahead, IATA anticipated a capacity expansion of nearly 3% in September. ## Claims - Global air cargo demand rose by 3.9% in July 2026 compared to July 2025. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Global air cargo capacity increased by 1.7% in July 2026. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Dedicated freighter aircraft gained market share while passenger aircraft belly cargo traffic decreased. (corroborated by 2 sources) - North American air cargo demand grew by 4.8% in July, the highest among all regions. (corroborated by 2 sources) - North American air cargo capacity decreased by 1.5% in July. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Global airline capacity increased by 2.6% in August 2026 compared to August 2025. (single source) - North East Asia and Western Europe led global capacity growth. (single source) - Middle East capacity decreased by 5.7% year-on-year due to regional instability. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-03: Global air travel demand grows 0.2% in July Global air travel demand rose 0.2% in July, driven by European growth, despite declines in North America and the Asia-Pacific region, according to IATA data. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/global-air-travel-demand-grows-02-in-july ### 2026-08-31: IATA reports mixed July 2026 growth for global aviation and air cargo IATA reports July 2026 global passenger demand rose 0.2%, while air cargo grew 3.9%. Growth was driven by Europe-Asia routes and Latin America, despite Middle East conflicts and rising fuel costs. 27 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/global-aviation-capacity-and-cargo-demand-show-growth-in-2026 ### 2026-08-02: IAG Cargo reports €570 million H1 2026 revenue amid joint venture rollout IAG Cargo posted €570 million H1 2026 revenue, down from €629 million, while expanding its Global Cargo Joint Business with Qatar Airways Cargo and MASkargo across 59 markets. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/iag-cargo-reports-570-million-h1-2026-revenue-amid-joint-venture-rollout --- Cite as: Global air cargo and passenger demand trends. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/global-air-cargo-and-passenger-demand-trends