African airlines demonstrated remarkable growth in air cargo demand during July 2025, with a 9.4 per cent year-on-year increase in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK).
This was revealed in the latest data released by the International Transport Association (IATA) for July 2025.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThis growth highlights the continent’s expanding role in global trade networks, despite facing operational challenges such as a slight contraction in capacity (- 0.1 per cent).
According to the IATA data, Africa’s 9.4 per cent growth in cargo demand was nearly double the global average of 5.5 per cent, indicating strong regional trade resilience.
The data showed that Asia-Pacific airlines recorded the highest growth globally at 11.1 per cent. This was driven by robust trade on the Europe-Asia route, which saw a 13.5 per cent increase in the period under review.
On the other hand, North American carriers had the weakest performance, with only 0.7 per cent growth, attributed to trade policy changes affecting e-commerce and tariffs.
Europe recorded 4.1 per cent growth, the Middle East had 2.6 per cent, and Latin America had 2.4 per cent growth in CTK.
As indicated in the IATA report, the global air cargo demand grew 5.5 per cent in July 2025, compared to 6.0 per cent in July 2024. When compared to 0.6 per cent in June, this reflects a rebound of the cargo market despite the ongoing trade war sparked by the U.S. trade tariff policy.
Global available cargo space measured in Available Cargo Tonne-Kilometers (ACTK) expanded by 3.9 per cent YoY, but the Cargo Load Factor (CLF) decreased by 0.7 percentage points compared to June 2024.
Commenting on the report, IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, said Africa continues to experience strong air cargo growth, owing to resilient regional trade and improved connectivity with key markets.
While this growth is promising, analysts believe that sustaining it will require addressing capacity constraints, leveraging key trade partnerships, and adapting to global economic shifts.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
