Wole Shadare 
African airlines saw a -13.4 per cent year-on-year decrease in demand for air cargo in March, the slowest among the regions. Capacity increased by 10.5 per cent yearon-year.
Demand for air cargo is a useful barometer of trade, with many high-value items transport by air, such as smart phones and IT equipment, automotive components, precious metals and gems, perishable food items and pharmaceuticals.
E-commerce shipments and other courier items are also a growing component of the air cargo industry.
During March 2025, African airlines recorded a -13.4 per cent year-on-year decrease in demand for air cargo, the slowest among the regions, including a 10.5 per cent yearon-year increase in cargo capacity.
Most of which is belly cargo hold space on passenger aircraft. A cargo load factor of 37.1 per cent, a year-on-year fall of -10.4 ppt. In other words, a little more than one-third of the available capacity was taken up by the market.
“March cargo volumes were strong. This may be partly a front-loading of demand as some businesses tried to beat the well-telegraphed April 2, tariff announcement by the Trump Administration.
The uncertainty over how much of the April 2 proposals will be implemented may eventually weigh on trade. In the meantime, the lower fuel costs, which are also a result of the same uncertainty, are a short-term positive factor for air cargo.
“Within the temporary pause on implementation, we hope that political leaders will be able to shift trade tensions to reliable agreements that can restore confidence in global supply chains,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
