Global air cargo demand climbs

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a 5.5% increase in global air cargo demand in July 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, with international operations up 6.0%. Capacity also rose by 3.9% year-on-year.

That made interesting reading for the U-Freight Group with our strong presence in the expedited international airfreight arena.

IATA added that most major trade lanes reported growth, with one significant exception: Asia–North America, where demand was down 1.0% year-on-year.

It explained that a sharp decline in e-commerce, as the US de minimis exemptions on small shipments expired, was likely offset by shippers frontloading goods in advance of rising tariffs for imports to the USA.   

In IATA’s opinion, 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 USA, it is important to keep a broad perspective on the global network, said the trade association.

It explained that 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.

The full article, which includes comprehensive tonnage figures for a variety of trade lanes, can be read here:

https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-08-29-01/

For more information about the U-Freight Group’s global air freight forwarding and logistics services, or our e-commerce logistics operations, please visit the relevant pages of this website or contact your local office, details of which can be seen here: https://ufreight.com/locations