Air Cargo Statistics: Industry, Volume, & More (2024 Update)
Air cargo is an essential part of global trade because it moves goods quickly around the world. But just how much does air cargo contribute to the economy?
With that in mind, we’ll cover air cargo statistics showing the volume, value, and growth trends in the air cargo logistics industry.
Worldwide Air Freight Traffic
The total global air cargo traffic from 2004 to 2021, with estimates for 2022 and 2023. Here’s the breakdown:
Air Cargo Statistics: Key Numbers
- Air cargo reached 57.7 million metric tons in 2023.
- Air cargo accounts for only 1% of total freight by weight but 35% of global trade by value.
- Air cargo transports over $6 trillion worth of goods annually.
- The global air freight market was $300.93 billion in 2023 and will reach $484.12 billion by 2031.
- The Global-Air air cargo market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.32% between 2022 and 2027.
- Global air cargo demand grew by 10.3% year-on-year in March 2024, marking the fourth consecutive month of double-digit growth.
- In March 2024, international cargo Tonne Kilometres (CTKs) rose 11.4% across all regions.
- Cargo load factor (CLF) for the airline industry was 47.3% in March 2024, a 2.2 percentage point increase from the previous month.
Source: (International Air Transport Association, International Air Transport Association, International Airport Review, Statista, MarketWatch, Globalia Logistics Network, Technavio.)
What percentage of cargo is transported by air?
Air cargo accounts for only 1% of total freight by weight but 35% of global trade by value, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Air cargo transports over $6 trillion worth of goods annually, accounting for approximately 35% of world trade by value.
