Air Cargo Statistics: Elevating Insights in Freight Flows

Air cargo on a platform waiting to be loaded onto a plane

If you’re apprehensive about using a plane to ship your goods, consider some air cargo stats we’ve compiled. This data will demonstrate the reliability of this method and provide other insights.

By Jacob Lee

Last Modified:
March 28, 2024

Key takeaways:

65.6 million metric tons of air freight was moved in 2021
The North America — Asia route moved 26.9% of all air cargo during 2023
Hong Kong International Airport processed 4,199,196 metric tons of freight in 2023
There was an 11% increase in air freight capacity between 2022 and 2023

We’ll explain the context of these air cargo stats throughout our guide.

Air Cargo Statistics On Freight Volumes

Air cargo shipping is well-known in the logistics industry for being a fast and safe way of transporting freight. For these reasons and many others, moving cargo by plane has become increasingly popular over time.

Worldwide Air Freight Traffic (2012-2021)

Year	Amount of Air Freight Transported (in million metric tons)
2012	50.7 million
2013	51.7 million
2014	54 million
2015	54.8 million
2016	57 million
2017	61.5 million
2018	63.5 million
2019	61.5 million
2020	55.4 million
2021	65.6 million

Provided by Statista

Global air freight volumes declined drastically due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, but quickly bounced back in 2021 and volumes are likely to continue rising. In fact, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts that air cargo freight volumes will increase by 4.5 % in 2024.

Air Freight Traffic By Route

Air cargo shipments travel on various routes around the world. Some paths are more used than others. The two busiest air lanes account for just over 46% of all air cargo transport services.

Top 10 Air Freight Routes In 2020

Route	Amount of Freight Transported
North America — Asia	26.9%
Europe — Asia	20.8%
North America — Europe	12%
Within Asia	7.4%
Asia — Middle East	6.8%
Europe — Middle East	4.8%
North America — South America	2.9%
North America — Middle East	2.3%
Within Europe	2.3%
Asia — Southwest Pacific	2.2%
Europe — Africa	2.1%
Europe — South America	1.8%
Asia — Africa	1.1%
Middle East — Africa	0.9%
Europe — Central America & Caribbean	0.9%
North America — Central America & Caribbean	0.7%
North America — Southwest Pacific	0.6%
Within South America	0.2%
South America – Central America & Caribbean	0.1%

Provided by Statista

North America, Europe, and Asia are extremely large economic regions that have significant volumes of trade. East Asia in particular is a major manufacturing hub. This explains why so much freight is transported on these routes.

Cargo airports are essential for getting goods in the air. We’ve listed the busiest airports of 2023 based on how much freight they handled.

Hong Kong International Airport was the busiest, processing 4,199,196 tones worth of freight
In second place, the Memphis International Airport handled 4,042,679 metric tons of plane cargo
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport has processed 3,461,603 metric tons of freight
Coming in fourth, the Shangai Pudong International Airport, which is located in China, moved 3,117,216 metric tons of air freight
In fifth, Louisville International Airport processed 3,067,234 metric tons of freight

The busiest airports are located in the Chinese Administrative Region of Hong Kong, China, and the United States.

Air cargo freight statistics includes information on airline capacity like shown in this image

Air Freight Capacity Statistics

When looking at air freight capacity, it’s important to differentiate between the terms belly and freighter cargo. Belly cargo refers to goods transported in the bottom of a passenger aircraft, while freighter cargo refers to goods transported in a cargo plane.

As recently as July 2021, belly cargo made up 39% of all capacity, while freighters made up the remaining 61%.

Capacity can vary by region. Generally, the more developed a region’s air infrastructure is, the more capacity is available.

Total air freight capacity in Africa was at 93K metric tons
For Europe, total capacity was 801K metric tons
Overall outbound capacity in North America was at 644K metric tons
Latin America’s total capacity was at 202K metric tons

As air capacity for air freight has increases, there will be more availability for shippers all over the world that want to use this mode of transport.

If you’re interested in the capacity of ocean ports, then consult our article on container shipping volumes.

Statistics On Air Freight Demand

Air freight demand is very high, especially when ocean shipping delays and port congestion increase. Numerous shippers around the world use this mode of transport to move their goods to different destinations.

Global demand increased by 3.8% compared to October 2022
Global air cargo demand quantified in Cargo Tonne-Kilometers (CTK) was recorded at 21.9 billion
Capacity was 13.1%, which was higher than the 11.2 % capacity in October 2022
Air cargo capacity measured by Available Cargo Tonne-Kilometers (ACTK) reached 48.6 billion
Global cross-border trade is more than 5 % above pre-pandemic levels, despite still being below 2022’s peak

Air carriers across various regions in saw an YOY increase in freight volume by October 2023.

European air carriers saw an increase in air cargo volume by 1.0%
Middle East carriers had an increase in air cargo volumes by 10.9%
Latin American carriers received 4.0% increase in their cargo volumes
African carriers enjoyed an air cargo volume increase of 2.9%

While demand for air shipping services may fluctuate, it’s unlikely to decrease significantly unless another event like COVID-19 shakes the transportation industry.

If you want to combine loads, read our article on the benefits of air freight consolidation.

Air freight in the cargo hull of an airplane

Air Cargo Industry Size and Growth

Thanks to high demand for air freight shipping services, the already expansive industry is continuing to grow. Market analysts predict that the air freight industry will be worth billions more in the next few years.

In 2023, the Global Air Freight Market size was estimated at $142.77 billion
By 2028, the size of the Global Air Freight Market is expected to be $190.30 billion and will grow at a 5.92% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

Since shippers will continue to use this method of transport in the future, the market will only grow larger as time goes on.

Read our article on the advantages of air freight to learn more about this great transportation option.

Take the Success of Your Air Cargo Seriously by Choosing USA Freight Forwarding

At USA Freight Forwarding, we understand the importance of air freight shipping in the logistics industry. That’s why we offer international air shipping for our customers. With this method of transport, your cargo will arrive quickly and safely at the final destination.

We also offer other services, such as:

Ocean Freight Shipping: Cost-effective solutions for larger shipments, providing you with a balance of speed and economy.
Freight Forwarding Consulting: Expert advice to navigate the complexities of global shipping, optimizing your logistics and reducing costs.

Regardless of which service you need, USA Freight Forwarding will ensure your cargo is handled correctly. If you’re ready to ship by air, then fill out your quote today. You can also get a hold of our team at (866) 941-8081 for more information.