Global air cargo growth slowed in early 2026 as the Middle East conflict triggered a 3 percent decline in volumes from March, with the region seeing a sharp 37 percent drop, according to WorldACD Market Data.

Global air cargo demand has weakened since the start of the Middle East conflict, reversing strong growth seen earlier in 2026, according to analysis from WorldACD Market Data.

“To measure the impact of the war in the Middle East on the air cargo industry, we have compiled the chart below. The figures are derived from WorldACD’s air cargo database and illustrate the Year-on-Year change in chargeable weight – across different origin regions. The different bars compare the period before the conflict (January and February) to the period since the start of the war (1 March to mid-April), and the period from January to mid-April (=Year-to-Date).”

Figures based on year-on-year changes in chargeable weight show that worldwide tonnage increased by 8 percent in January and February, before declining by 3 percent from March to mid-April. This resulted in overall growth of 3 percent for the period from January to mid-April.

The Middle East recorded the most significant shift. After a 19 percent increase in the first two months of the year, volumes dropped sharply by 37 percent following the start of the conflict in March.

Other regions also saw declines in the same period, with South Asia down 8 percent and Africa falling by 11 percent. Europe recorded a smaller decrease, while Asia Pacific volumes slipped by 1 percent after earlier growth of 13 percent in January and February. Within Asia Pacific, volumes from China declined by 7 percent.

By contrast, Central and South America and North America were the only regions to record growth from March to mid-April.

The accompanying chart illustrates year-on-year changes in chargeable weight across major origin regions, comparing January–February, the period from March to mid-April, and overall year-to-date performance.

It highlights a clear shift in global trends, with most regions moving from positive growth at the start of the year to declines following the onset of the Middle East conflict. The Middle East shows the most pronounced swing, while the Americas stand out as the only regions maintaining growth during the later period.

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