Air cargo demand rises by nearly six percent in April

Home
»
Stories
»
2025
»
May

GLOBAL INDUSTRY NEWS

Qatar Airways In Talks To Buy 20% Of Virgin Australia - Airline Ratings

Global Industry News

Air cargo demand rises by nearly six percent in April

Research

Kim Macaulay Chief Information & Data Officer | International Air Transport Association - IATA

By Sky Industry News

May 29, 2025

Air cargo demand increased by 5.8% in April 2025 compared to the same month last year, according to recent data. International operations saw a slightly higher rise of 6.5%. Capacity also grew, with available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK) increasing by 6.3% overall and 6.9% for international operations.

Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), commented on the situation: “Air cargo demand grew strongly in April, with volumes up 5.8% year-on-year, building on March’s solid performance. Seasonal demand for fashion and consumer goods—front-loading ahead of US tariff changes—and lower jet fuel prices have combined to boost air cargo. With available capacity at record levels and yields improving, the outlook for air cargo is encouraging."

Walsh also noted potential challenges: "While April brought good news, stresses in world trade are no secret. Shifts in trade policy, particularly in the US, are already reshaping demand and export dynamics. Airlines will need to remain flexible as the situation develops over the coming months."

Get the Newsletter

Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News

By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

In March, world industrial production rose by 3.2%, while air cargo growth outpaced global goods trade with a 6.5% increase from the previous month. Jet fuel prices dropped significantly by 21.2% year-on-year and decreased by 4.1% from March to April.

The global manufacturing PMI reached 50.5 in April, indicating expansion for four consecutive months; however, new export orders fell below growth threshold levels.

Regionally, Asia-Pacific airlines experienced a significant increase in demand at 10%, with North American carriers seeing a rise of 4.2%. European carriers had a growth rate of 2.9%, while Middle Eastern carriers recorded the slowest growth at 2.3%. Latin American carriers led with a robust increase of 10.1%, and African airlines saw an uptick of 4.7%.

Trade lanes showed varied performances; routes such as Europe-Asia and within Asia continued their growth streaks while others like Africa-Asia and intra-European routes faced declines.