Cathay Cargo carried 7% more cargo in February 2026 than in the same month last year, continuing its positive start to the year despite softer demand later in the month linked to the Lunar New Year holiday period.
The airline said Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) rose by 4% year on year in February. Across the first two months of 2026, total tonnage was up 6% compared with the same period in 2025.
Lavinia Lau, Cathay’s chief customer and commercial officer, said: “Cargo tonnage in February declined against the previous month due to the Lunar New Year holidays. We saw a pre-holiday rush across our home market and the wider Greater Bay Area, followed by softer demand later in the month.
“Meanwhile, demand for our Cathay Secure solution remained resilient, particularly from Europe and the Americas to Asia, while our Cathay Live Animal solution saw notable growth, supported by increased live lobster shipments from Oceania to Hong Kong.
“Turning to March, overall air cargo demand is expected to improve as we ramp up our scheduled freighter frequencies in preparation for the quarter end.”
However, Lau also cautioned that wider geopolitical instability is beginning to reshape both passenger and cargo flows, while pushing up operating costs.
She said: “Turning to March, the global geopolitical environment is volatile and this is causing unexpected shifts in passenger and cargo traffic flows as well as a significant increase in the price of jet fuel.
"In view of the current situation in the Middle East, we have temporarily suspended Cathay Pacific’s passenger flights as well as Cathay Cargo’s freighter services to Dubai and Riyadh up to and including 30 April 2026.
"As customers prioritise alternative travel routes due to airspace closures in the Middle East, we have added extra flights to London and provided additional capacity to Zurich in March to cater for a surge in demand for Europe. We are monitoring the situation closely and will remain agile in our response.”
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