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Air cargo traffic buoyed by pre-holiday shipments in November: IATA
January 12th 2026
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said air cargo demand rose 5.5% in November from a year earlier. Read More » It was the second highest monthly year-on-year increase in cargo tonne kilometres (CTK) in 2025, behind only the 5.8% improvement recorded in April. Air cargo capacity was 4.7% higher in the month. IATA director-general, Willie Walsh, said the November figures were "boosted by shippers prioritizing timely delivery in the lead-up to the year-end holiday season". Walsh noted strong emerging market demand and selective Middle Eastern growth more than made-up for softness in the Americas amid ongoing adjustment to the new US tariff regime. "Globally, the fourth quarter for air cargo was resilient as strategic re-routing of trade shaped performance across key markets," Walsh said. "The strong end for 2025 bodes well for the air cargo industry as it enters the new year." The airline lobby group’s report said the Asia-Pacific region grew CTKs 10.3%, while capacity, or available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTK), were up 8.4%.
