Global air freight volumes fell by 4% week on week in week 28 of 2026, from 6 to 12 July, a decline driven largely by a 7% drop in Asia-Pacific origins, according to weekly figures released by WorldAcd Market Data on 18 July. The main factor was Typhoon Bavi, which particularly affected capacity and chargeable weight out of Taiwan, with more limited effects on China and the rest of East Asia. On the route to the United States, volumes from Taiwan fell by 11% in week 28, while the sharpest percentage drop came from Vietnam, at 17%. Weekly declines were also recorded from Malaysia, down 7%, Indonesia, down 7%, and China, down 5%, bringing the overall fall in Asia-Pacific volumes to the United States to 5%. Year on year, however, volumes remained 11% higher than in the same period of 2025, with increases across almost all countries in the region except Taiwan, down 15%, and Hong Kong, down 3%.
The slowdown was more pronounced on routes to Europe: Asia-Pacific volumes fell by 10% week on week and by 15% compared with the same period last year. Taiwan recorded the largest percentage decline, down 24% week on week, but in absolute terms the most significant contraction came from China, with a 13% weekly fall and a 15% year-on-year decline. Hong Kong, meanwhile, recorded a 23% year-on-year drop after four consecutive weekly declines, a trend the WorldAcd report links to the removal by the European Union of customs exemptions for low-value imports, in force since 1 July.
The Middle East and South Asia, or Mesa, region was also affected by the renewed conflict between Iran and the United States: chargeable weight from the region fell by 4% week on week, with capacity down 3% and capacity from Gulf countries down 4%. Mesa volumes to the United States took the heaviest hit, with a weekly fall of about 14%, distributed relatively evenly across the region’s countries. In the opposite direction, however, Mesa chargeable weight to Europe rose by 4% week on week, bringing it into line with levels seen in the same period last year.
On the pricing front, global average rates, calculated on a mix of contract and spot rates, recorded their third consecutive weekly decline in week 28, falling by 3% to USD 3.03 per kilo; the figure nevertheless remained 24% higher than a year earlier. The global average spot rate also fell by 3% week on week, to USD 3.47 per kilo, up 32% year on year. The steepest weekly declines in spot rates were recorded from Africa, down 8%, Mesa, down 4%, and Europe, down 4%, while Asia-Pacific limited its decline to 2%. North America moved against the trend, with rates rising by 3% in the week following 4 July, the US Independence Day holiday.
Spot rates from Asia-Pacific to the United States remained relatively stable, with a limited weekly decline of 2% to USD 6.68 per kilo, still 37% above the level recorded in the same period of 2025. On the route to Europe, by contrast, the cooling demand seen in recent weeks translated into a third consecutive weekly decline, down 5% to USD 4.82 per kilo, led by a 9% weekly fall in rates from China, which dropped to USD 4.45 per kilo. Average Asia-Pacific to Europe spot rates remained 25% higher year on year, but the China-Europe figure stood at just 15%, the smallest year-on-year growth margin since late March. China-Europe spot rates and the Asia-Pacific-Europe average have therefore returned to levels last seen in late March.
A.M.B.
