African airlines recorded the strongest growth in air cargo demand globally in October 2025, with volumes rising 16.6% year-on-year.
Capacity on the continent also expanded 20% compared to October 2024, reflecting significant operational expansion to meet rising demand.
This data comes from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) report on October 2025 global air cargo markets.
“African airlines saw a 16.6% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in October, the strongest rise of all regions. Capacity increased by 20.0% year-on-year,” the report read in part.
Globally, total air cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), rose 4.1% year-on-year, while available capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTK), increased 5.1%, marking the eighth consecutive month of expansion and setting a new monthly record.
The growth is supported by broader trends, including a 3% rise in goods trade and a 3.7% increase in industrial production in September, the fastest pace since March 2025.
Beyond Africa, Asia-Pacific airlines posted an 8.3% increase in demand, with capacity up 7.3%, reflecting strong intra-Asia and Asia–Europe trade.
Middle Eastern carriers recorded a 5.7% rise in demand, with capacity increasing 10%, while European airlines saw a 4.3% increase in both demand and capacity.
The report also noted that jet fuel prices increased 2.5% in October, while global manufacturing sentiment improved slightly, with the PMI rising to 51.45.
New export orders, however, remained below the 50-point expansion threshold at 48.31, reflecting ongoing caution amid tariff uncertainty.