The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its global air cargo data for June 2025, showing that both total demand and capacity increased compared to July 2024 levels.

Demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), rose by 5.5%, and capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTK), rose by 3.9%.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said: “Air cargo demand grew 5.5% in July, a strong result. Most major trade lanes reported growth, with one significant exception: Asia–North America, where demand was down 1.0% year-on-year.

“A sharp decline in e-commerce, as the US de minimis exemptions on small shipments expired, was likely offset by shippers frontloading goods in advance of rising tariffs for imports to the US.”

Walsh added: “August will likely reveal more clearly the impact of shifting US trade policies. While much attention is rightly being focused on developments in markets connected to the US, it is important to keep a broad perspective on the global network.

“A fifth of air cargo travels on the Europe–Asia trade lane, which marked 29 months of consecutive expansion with 13.5% year-on-year growth in July.”

Asia-Pacific airlines saw an 11.1% year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in July, the strongest rise of all regions. Capacity for the region increased by 7.3% year-on-year.

The slowest growth of all regions was North America where carriers saw a 0.7% year-on-year increase in growth for air cargo in July, and capacity decreased by 0.6% year-on-year.

African airlines saw a 9.4% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo, with capacity down by 0.1% year-on-year.

European carriers saw a 4.1% year-on-year cargo demand increase and a capacity rise by 4.0% year-on-year.

A 2.6% year-on-year increase in cargo demand and capacity increase of 5.9% year-on-year was recorded for Middle Eastern carriers.

Latin American carriers saw a 2.4% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in July. Capacity increased by 3.8% year-on-year.

When it comes to trade lane growth, air freight volumes in July 2025 increased significantly across all major trade corridors, with the exception of Middle East–Europe, which recorded only a marginal.

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