Airline cargo to reach 71.6m tonnes in 2026

IATA estimates that airline cargo will hit 71.6m tonnes in 2026, in good news for the sector.

Looking ahead, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has forecast that air cargo volumes will reach 71.6 million tonnes, marking a 2.4% increase on 2025.

Its strong performance in spite of a challenging operating and trading environment was noted as impressive, particularly when looking at the air cargo segment. Its revenue is expected to reach $158 billion in 2026, a 2.1% increase on $155 in 2025.

This can be attributed to a continued growth in cargo, particularly time-sensitive shipments and e-commerce volumes. There is anticipated to be a 2.6% increase in cargo tonne kilometres (CTK) in 2026, although this is lower than 3.1% growth in 2025.

Willie Walsh, Director General at IATA said: “Airlines are expected to generate a 3.9% net margin and a $41 billion profit in 2026. That’s extremely welcome news considering the headwinds that the industry faces – rising costs from bottlenecks in the aerospace supply chain, geopolitical conflict, sluggish global trade, and growing regulatory burdens among them. Airlines have successfully built shock-absorbing resilience into their businesses that is delivering stable profitability.”