RIYADH: Middle Eastern air cargo demand fell 8.9 percent year on year in May, the weakest performance of any region, as war-related disruption continued to weigh on aviation and trade routes linked to the Gulf, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Capacity among Middle Eastern carriers declined 9.2 percent from a year earlier. with IATA linking the contraction to the continuing conflict in the region.
The war involving the US, Israel and Iran, which began on Feb. 28, triggered widespread airspace closures and grounded passenger and freighter services at major Gulf hubs, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
The Middle East performance contrasts with with the growth seen across most of the global air cargo market, with worldwide shipment demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers, increaseing 6 percent compared with May 2025, including growth of 6.5 percent in international operations.
Available cargo capacity rose 1.9 percent globally and 2.8 percent for international operations. The global cargo load factor increased by 1.8 percentage points to 46.3 percent. The Middle East’s load factor rose by 0.2 percentage points to 46.5 percent despite the declines in both demand and capacity.
