African airlines were the only carriers globally to record a decline in air cargo capacity in June 2026, with available cargo space falling 7.1% year-on-year despite a 4.7% increase in freight demand.

The figures are contained in the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s latest report on global air cargo markets for June 2026.

While airlines in every other region expanded cargo capacity to support rising demand, Africa’s capacity contraction underscored persistent operational constraints even as freight volumes continued to grow.

What IATA is saying

IATA said global air cargo demand remained on a strong growth trajectory in June, with all regions recording year-on-year demand growth.

North American carriers posted the fastest growth at 13.1%, followed by Asia-Pacific (7.9%), Europe (6.9%), the Middle East (5.6%), Africa (4.7%), and Latin America and the Caribbean (3.5%).

  • “African airlines saw a 4.7% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in June. Capacity decreased by 7.1% year-on-year,” the report stated.

While Latin American and Caribbean carriers recorded the slowest demand growth, they expanded cargo capacity by 9.8%, the highest among all regions.

Africa stood out as the only region where available cargo capacity declined even as freight demand continued to grow.

Key drivers of June performance

Commenting on the June results, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said air cargo demand continued to outpace capacity despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainties.

  • The association said global trade grew 5.2% year-on-year in June, while jet fuel prices declined 20% from the previous month, although they remained 45.8% higher than a year earlier.
  • Global manufacturing activity also remained in expansion territory, with the Global Manufacturing Output Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) easing slightly to 53.0.

However, the New Export Orders Index stayed below the 50-point threshold for a fourth consecutive month at 49.4, indicating cargo growth continued to be driven by specific trade corridors and high-value shipments rather than broad-based export expansion.

Among trade lanes, Asia-North America recorded the strongest growth, followed by Within Asia, Europe-Asia and Africa-Asia routes, while Gulf-related cargo corridors remained affected by conflict in the Middle East.

More insights

Nairametrics’ review of IATA cargo market data shows African airlines have remained among the world’s strongest-performing regions throughout 2026, with demand growth consistently outpacing many larger markets despite uneven capacity.

The continent recorded the strongest global cargo demand growth in May, with traffic rising 13.3% year-on-year as capacity grew just 1.3%.

  • In April, cargo demand increased by 7.7% despite a 9.4% decline in capacity, while March saw African airlines lead global growth with a 7.0% increase in cargo traffic even as worldwide demand fell by 4.8%.
  • Earlier in the year, demand surged by 21% in February, supported by a 61.9% increase in Africa-Asia trade, following an 18.2% rise in January when the Africa-Asia corridor expanded by 41.6%.

The momentum began building in late 2025, with cargo demand rising 10.1% in December and 15.6% in November.

What you should know

Nigeria’s air freight market is benefiting from many of the same trends supporting cargo growth across Africa, particularly the rapid expansion of e-commerce and cross-border trade among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, industry stakeholders say infrastructure and regulatory constraints continue to limit growth.

  • In an exclusive interview with Nairametrics, Aramex Nigeria Managing Director Faisal Jarmakani estimated Nigeria’s air freight logistics market at more than $8 billion, citing time-sensitive shipments, diaspora-driven exports, and expanding business-to-business and consumer-to-consumer trade as key demand drivers.
  • Lagos remains the country’s primary cargo hub, while Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano serve as major domestic cargo gateways.
  • Jarmakani identified airport cargo processing delays, high handling charges, limited technology integration across regulatory agencies, and last-mile delivery challenges as key constraints.

He said greater digitisation of airport operations, lower logistics costs and improved warehousing infrastructure would significantly boost the sector’s efficiency and competitiveness.