African airlines lead global air cargo growth in March as Middle East corridors collapse

African carriers were the best-performing region in global air cargo in March 2026, with freight demand up 7.0 percent year-on-year while capacity dipped 4.6 percent, IATA data show. Global cargo demand fell 4.8 percent on the Israel-US-Iran war disruptions, with Middle East demand collapsing 54.3 percent and capacity down 52.4 percent.