Global air cargo demand up 0.8% in June; Asia-Pacific leads with 9% growth

Global air cargo demand grew modestly by 0.8% year-on-year in June 2025, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). International operations saw slightly stronger growth at 1.6%. Capacity also rose, up 1.7% overall and 2.8% for international services. Asia-Pacific airlines led the global performance, recording a strong 9.0% year-on-year demand growth in June, the highest among all regions. Capacity for the region also increased by 7.8% during the same period.

"Overall, air cargo demand grew by a modest 0.8% year-on-year in June, but there are very differing stories behind that number for the industry’s major players," said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. "Trade tensions saw North American traffic fall by 8.3% and European growth stagnate at 0.8%. But Asia-Pacific bucked the trend to report a 9.0% expansion. Meanwhile, disruptions from military conflict in the Middle East saw the region’s cargo traffic fall by 3.2%."

Walsh added that the data highlights the importance of stability and predictability in global trade. “Emerging clarity on US tariffs allows businesses greater confidence in planning. But we cannot overlook the fact that the ‘deals’ being struck are resulting in significantly higher tariffs on goods imported into the US than we had just a few months ago,” he said. “The economic damage of these cost barriers to trade remains to be seen. In the meantime, governments should redouble efforts to make trade facilitation simpler, faster, cheaper and more secure with digitalization.”

Several key factors in the operating environment were also noted. In May, world industrial production rose by 3.2% year-on-year, and global goods trade grew by 3.5%. Jet fuel prices in June were 12% lower year-on-year, the fourth consecutive month of annual decline, though they were 8.6% higher than in May.

Global manufacturing also rebounded, with the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rising above the neutral 50 mark to 51.2. However, the PMI for new export orders, while improving by 1.2 index points, remained in negative territory at 49.3 due to pressure from recent US trade policy changes.