The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its global air cargo data for June 2025, showing that total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), rose by 0.8% compared to June 2024 levels (1.6% for international operations).

Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTK), also increased with a 1.7% rise compared to June 2024 (2.8% for international operations).

According the IATA’s data, Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 9.0% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in June, the strongest growth of all regions. Its capacity increased by 7.8% year-on-year.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said: “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.

“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: “The June air cargo data made it very clear that stability and predictability are essential supports for 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.  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 digitalisation.”

Other global markets showed mixed performance across regions. Middle Eastern carriers saw a 3.2% year-on-year decrease in demand for air cargo in June, with capacity increasing by 1.5% year-on-year.

Latin American carriers witnessed a 3.5% year-on-year increase in demand growth for air cargo in June, with capacity decreasing by 0.4% year-on-year.

For African airlines, a 3.9% year-on-year increase in demand was seen in June, with capacity up by 6.2% year-on-year.

In terms of trade lane growth, IATA says that air freight volumes in June 2025 increased for major trade corridors from/within Europe and Middle East-Asia. However, other relevant trade routes from/within Asia and from North America have decreased significantly in the most recent month.

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