The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data on March 30, 2026, showing that global air cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose by 11.2% year-on-year in February 2026, with international operations growing by 11.6%. Capacity also increased by 8.5% year-on-year, with international capacity up 9.8%. Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, noted that the growth was partly boosted by pre-Lunar New Year goods movement, but the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East at the end of February has introduced uncertainty for full-year performance. Key drivers of demand included a 5.2% year-on-year growth in global goods trade in January and a strengthened global manufacturing sentiment, with the PMI rising to 53.1. Regional performance varied, with Asia-Pacific airlines seeing 13.6% demand growth, North American carriers up 9.4%, and African carriers leading with a 21.0% increase.