According to WorldACD Market Data, during the last full week of April, global air cargo capacity and tonnage increased by another 3%. The primary driver was a seasonal factor: a surge in flower shipments from Central and South America boosted volumes by 19%, driven primarily by exports from Colombia and Ecuador to the US and Canada ahead of Mother’s Day. Additional growth was recorded in the Asia-Pacific region (+3%) in the run-up to the May 1st holidays, while Europe and Africa showed stagnation, and North America saw a 2% decline.
Overall, global volumes in Week 17 were 9% higher than a year earlier, with Europe gaining 20%, Asia 8%, and Central and South America 12%. At the same time, market pressure persists due to the conflict in the Middle East: volumes from the Middle East and South Asia region declined by 3% year-on-year, while Africa saw an 8% drop. Despite capacity increases in specific regions, global capacity remains 3% below pre-conflict escalation levels, with particularly sharp reductions observed in the Persian Gulf (–46%) and the Eastern Mediterranean (–20%).
Capacity constraints, rising fuel prices, and availability disruptions continue to underpin high freight rates. In Week 17, average spot rates rose by 2% to $3.76 per kg, while the overall market rate increased by 1% to $3.19 per kg. On a year-on-year basis, spot rates remain approximately 45% higher, and overall market rates are up 30%. The sharpest increase in rates was recorded on the Middle East–South Asia (+65%), North America (+60%), and Asia–Pacific (+41%) routes, reflecting the ongoing restructuring of global supply chains.