• Africa air freight volumes rise 7% in March 2026
• Growth slows after strong January-February surge, key routes decelerate
• Global cargo declines amid disruptions, but outlook for 2026 remains positive

Air freight volumes in Africa rose 7% year on year in March 2026, the International Air Transport Association said, marking the strongest performance among regions worldwide amid a broader slowdown partly driven by geopolitical disruptions, including the conflict in the Middle East.

The figure nonetheless marks a significant slowdown after five consecutive months of robust growth. Africa's air freight volumes had expanded by 18.2% in January and 21% in February year on year. The Africa-Asia corridor, a key driver of the region's momentum, grew 22.6% in March, down sharply from 61.9% the previous month. Despite the deceleration, the trade route has now posted nine consecutive months of growth.

Elsewhere, trends remained mixed. Asia-Pacific recorded the second-best performance, with volumes up 5.4%, while growth stayed moderate in Europe at 2.2% and in Latin America at 1.8%. North America saw traffic decline 1.2%, and the Middle East posted a contraction of 54.3%. Globally, air cargo traffic fell 4.8% in March compared with the same period in 2025, alongside a 4.7% drop in capacity.

Despite the headwinds, IATA said the outlook for 2026 remains positive, adding that demand fundamentals remained solid and that revised trade and GDP forecasts from the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund continued to point to growth. The association also said air cargo networks provide the flexibility needed to support global supply chains in the face of geopolitical, tariff-related and operational pressures, according to its director general Willie Walsh.

Henoc Dossa