The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for September 2026 global air cargo markets: total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers, increased by 7.7% compared with September 2025, with international operations up 8.6%; capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers, increased by 2.7%, with international operations up 3.3%. Growth extended across all regions, supported by stronger global trade and manufacturing, while AI-related shipments helped drive another month of double-digit growth across the Pacific.
North American carriers saw the strongest regional demand growth at 11.8% year on year, with capacity up just 0.8%; Asia-Pacific airlines grew 8.6% with capacity up 4.9%; European carriers grew 4.5% as capacity fell 1.6%; and Middle Eastern carriers posted the weakest growth at 3.8% with capacity up 7.0%. IATA said jet fuel prices have more than doubled compared with a year ago while yields have not kept pace, making profitable operations more challenging.