African airlines lead global air cargo growth with 13.3% surge in May - Businessday NG

…as tight capacity drives yield growth

African airlines have emerged as the undisputed engine of global air cargo growth, posting a staggering 13.3 percent year-on-year increase in freight demand for May 2026.

Data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) confirms that Africa recorded the strongest performance of any continent, vastly outperforming the global average demand growth of 6.0 percent.

Even more significant for African carriers is their strict capacity discipline. While demand skyrocketed by double digits, available cargo capacity (ACTK) on the continent ticked up by a mere 1.3 percent.

This gap between booming freight volumes and conservative capacity growth has dramatically tightened the regional market, driving up load factors and boosting profitability for African operators.