Africa leads global air freight growth in March despite disruptions
Global shipping traffic declines
The International Air Transport Association announced that air freight volumes in Africa It rose by 7% year-on-year in March 2026, marking the strongest performance among regions worldwide amid a broader slowdown driven in part by geopolitical turmoil, including the conflict in the Middle East.
However, this figure indicates a marked slowdown after five consecutive months of strong growth. Air freight volumes in Africa rose by 18.21 TP3T in January and 211 TP3T in February year-on-year. The Africa-Asia corridor, a key driver of the region's momentum, grew by 22.61 TP3T in March, a sharp decline from 61.91 TP3T the previous month. Despite this slowdown, the trade route still recorded nine consecutive months of growth.
Global air freight statistics
In other regions, trends remained mixed. Asia Pacific recorded the second-best performance, with volumes rising by 5.4%, while growth remained moderate in Europe at 2.2% and in Latin America at 1.8%.
North America saw a 1.21 TP3T decrease in cargo traffic, while the Middle East experienced a 54.31 TP3T decline. Globally, air cargo traffic fell by 4.81 TP3T in March compared to the same period in 2025, along with a 4.71 TP3T decrease in capacity.
Forecasts indicate growth
Despite the challenges, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) confirmed that the outlook for 2026 remains positive, adding that demand fundamentals remain strong and that revised trade and GDP forecasts from the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund still point to growth.
As the association's director general, Willie Walsh, stated, air freight networks provide the necessary flexibility to support global supply chains in the face of geopolitical, tariff and operational pressures.
The African continent is witnessing a remarkable boom in the air freight sector, as it has become the leader of global growth in this field thanks to increased demand and expanded capacity, thus surpassing growth rates in many other regions of the world.
The continent has seen a significant increase in shipping capacity, reflecting the readiness of the infrastructure and investment in this sector.
Ethiopian Airlines (cargo and logistics) is a leader on the continent, in addition to the major role played by international cargo companies such as Emirates SkyCargo in connecting African markets to the world.
