Africa recorded the strongest percentage increase among major air cargo regions in May 2026, according to IATA’s latest Air Cargo Market Analysis.
The report shows that African carriers recorded a 13.3% year-on-year increase in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs) for the month. This was the strongest growth rate among the major airline regions, although Africa’s overall contribution to global cargo growth remained comparatively modest because the region operates from a smaller traffic base.
IATA’s May 2026 data shows Africa holding a 2.1% share of industry CTKs in 2025. For the total market, African carriers recorded CTK growth of 13.3% year-on-year, while available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTKs) increased by 1.3%. Cargo load factor improved by 5.0 percentage points to 46.9%.
The international market reflected a similar trend. African carriers also recorded 13.3% year-on-year international CTK growth in May 2026. International ACTKs increased by 1.8%, while international cargo load factor improved by 4.9 percentage points to 48.1%.
On a year-to-date basis, African carriers recorded total CTK growth of 12.7%, with ACTKs up by 1.1%. Total cargo load factor improved by 4.8 percentage points to 46.6%. In the international market, year-to-date CTKs also increased by 12.7%, while ACTKs rose by 1.4% and cargo load factor improved by 4.8 percentage points to 48.1%.
IATA noted that Africa also achieved the strongest improvement in cargo load factor among carrier regions. The report notes the increase aligned with the region’s strong demand performance and showed that traffic gains exceeded capacity additions.
Africa’s performance stood out against the wider global air cargo market, which recorded total CTK growth of 6.0% year-on-year in May 2026. International cargo traffic increased by 6.5%, while industry-wide capacity rose by 1.9%.
IATA cautioned that regional figures are based on the region in which the carrier is registered and should not be read as regional traffic flows. This means the Africa data reflects the performance of African-registered carriers, rather than all cargo transported to, from or within Africa.
Read More: IATA Air Cargo Market Analysis – May 2026 here:
