Trade body highlights sector resilience amid global trade challenges, with e-commerce and time-sensitive shipments driving growth
Air cargo volumes in 2026 are expected to increase 2.4% year on year, according to IATA’s latest analysis.
The trade body said air cargo volumes are expected to reach 71.6m tonnes in 2026, noting that the "resilience in air cargo has been particularly impressive" within the context of the challenges the market has faced.
Cargo revenue is forecast to reach $158bn in 2026, up 2.1% on $155bn this year. Revenue will be particularly driven by time-sensitive shipments and e-commerce volumes.
Despite positive predictions for volumes and revenue, cargo yields are expected to be down -0.5% on 2025, although this is within the context of a slowdown in global trade and yields will still be approximately 30% above pre-pandemic levels, pointed out IATA.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said: “The resilience in air cargo has been particularly impressive. As trade flows adapt to a protectionist US tariff regime, air cargo has been the hero of global trade buoyed in part by robust e-commerce and semiconductor shipments to support the boom in AI investments.
"Notably, air cargo enabled front-loading to deliver products ahead of tariff deadlines, and it flexibly accommodated demand surges as tariffed goods normally destined for the US found new markets. The critical role of air cargo is front and center as the global economy adjusts to new realities."
