In May, worldwide air cargo demand increased by 6%, driven primarily by trans-Pacific trade.

In May 2026, global air cargo demand rose by 6% year-on-year, primarily due to robust trans-Pacific trade and growth from Asia-Pacific and North American carriers. International cargo demand increased by 6.5%, while capacity grew by only 1.9%, improving load factors to 46.3%. Asia-Pacific airlines led the growth with an 8% increase in cargo tonne-kilometres, followed by a 10.5% rise from North American carriers. In contrast, Middle Eastern carriers faced an 8.9% decline in demand. Despite higher operational costs and mixed economic signals, air cargo yields rose 0.3% from April, reflecting strong demand against limited capacity growth.