• Air cargo volumes for African carriers rose 9.4% in July, led by Africa-Asia trade.

• Global volumes grew 5.5% year-on-year, with Asia-Pacific posting the strongest gain.

• IATA cites tariff anticipation and a 9.1% drop in jet fuel prices as key drivers.

African airlines recorded a 9.4% year-on-year increase in air cargo volumes in July 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The growth was driven mainly by strong trade flows on the Africa-Asia corridor. Capacity, however, slipped by 0.1% from a year earlier.

Other regions also saw positive results, with Asia-Pacific leading at +11.1%. The Middle East rose 2.6%, Latin America 2.4%, Europe 4.1%, and North America 0.7%. On a global scale, cargo volumes were up 5.5% compared to July 2024, while overall capacity expanded 3.9%.

IATA attributed the global trend to several factors, including companies accelerating orders ahead of new U.S. import tariffs and a 9.1% drop in jet fuel prices in July. The decline in e-commerce shipments following the end of U.S. de minimis exemptions on small parcels was likely offset by such early orders.

“August will likely reveal more clearly the impact of shifting US trade policies. While much attention is rightly being focused on developments in markets connected to the US, it is important to keep a broad perspective on the global network. A fifth of air cargo travels on the Europe–Asia trade lane, which marked 29 months of consecutive expansion with 13.5% year-on-year growth in July,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

In an earlier forecast, IATA projected global cargo growth of 5.8% for 2025. In 2024, volumes increased 11.3%, including an 8.5% rise for African carriers.