The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its global air cargo data for March 2025, revealing that both total demand (measured in cargo tonne-kilometers, CTK) and capacity (available cargo tonne-kilometers, ACTK) increased by 4.4% and 4.3% respectively compared to March 2024.
According to IATA’s data, Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 9.6% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in March, the strongest growth among the regions, and capacity increased by 11.3% year-on-year.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said: “March cargo volumes were strong. It is possible that this is partly a front-loading of demand as some businesses tried to beat the well-telegraphed 2 April tariff announcement by the Trump Administration. The uncertainty over how much of the 2 April proposals will be implemented may eventually weigh on trade.
“In the meantime, the lower fuel costs – which are also a result of the same uncertainty – are a short-term positive factor for air cargo. And, within the temporary pause on implementation we hope that political leaders will be able to shift trade tensions to reliable agreements that can restore confidence in global supply chains.”
Other global markets showed mixed performance across regions. North American carriers led the pack with a 9.5% year-on-year increase in demand, supported by a 6.1% rise in capacity. European carriers also experienced growth, with demand up by 4.5% and capacity expanding by 2.0% year-on-year.
Latin American airlines posted a 5.8% increase in demand and a 4.7% increase in capacity, while Middle Eastern carriers saw a 3.2% drop in demand despite a modest 0.8% capacity gain.
The decline in the Middle East may be attributed to a strong year-ago comparison, as the region benefited early in 2024 from maritime freight disruptions in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, African carriers faced the sharpest contraction, with demand falling 13.4% year-on-year, even as capacity jumped by 10.5%.
Trade lane performance also varied. The Europe–North America corridor emerged as the busiest route in March, reflecting robust transatlantic activity.
Asia–North America, the largest trade lane by market share, recorded strong growth as shippers possibly front-loaded cargo ahead of potential tariff increases.
However, not all lanes fared well – IATA‘s data reveals Europe–Middle East and Africa–Asia both saw declining volumes, signalling regional imbalances and shifting trade dynamics.
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