Air freight demand up 4.0% in April due to disruption in the Middle East | News

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data for the global air freight markets as of April 2026, showing:

Total demand, measured in freight tonne kilometers (CTK), increased by 4.0% compared to April 2025 levels (+4.0% for international operations).
Capacity, measured in available freight tonne kilometers (ACTK), decreased by -0.4% compared to April 2025 (-0.9% for international operations).
“Air freight demand grew 4% year-on-year in April, driven by strong trade flows linked to Asia. But this positive news masks a more complex operating environment. Severe disruptions at major Gulf hubs due to the war in the Middle East continued to reshape trade routes and limit capacity on key corridors. With specialty freighters accounting for much of the growth, air freight is once again keeping supply chains moving amid trade disruptions. The coming months will see test how well the sector can cope with ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and higher operating costs.” said Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA.

Several factors in the working environment must be taken into account:

Global trade contracted 2.1% month-on-month in March after four consecutive months of growth, highlighting the continued vulnerability of trade momentum to geopolitical shocks.
Jet fuel prices rose sharply in April, up 121.1% year-on-year, alongside a 77.7% increase in crude oil prices.
Global manufacturing sentiment remained in growth territory in April and strengthened from March onwards. The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose 1.9 points to 53.4, while the PMI for new export orders reached 50.2. With both indicators above the 50-point expansion threshold, conditions remain favorable for air freight demand.