Geneva: Asia-Pacific airlines recorded a 10.3 per cent year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in November 2025, while capacity increased by 8.4 per cent y-o-y during the same period. According to BERNAMA News Agency, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) revealed these figures, highlighting a robust performance for the region's carriers. In a statement today, Geneva-based IATA noted that global air cargo demand rose by 5.5 per cent y-o-y in November. This uptick was largely attributed to shippers prioritising timely deliveries ahead of the year-end holiday season. IATA Director General Willie Walsh remarked that strong demand in emerging markets and selective growth in the Middle East compensated for the softness in the Americas due to adjustments to the new United States tariff regime. Walsh further commented, "Globally, the fourth quarter for air cargo was resilient as strategic re-routing of trade shaped performance across key markets. The strong end for 2025 bodes well for the air cargo i ndustry as it enters the new year." IATA identified several influential factors in the current operating environment. These include a 3.2 per cent y-o-y growth in global goods trade in October, a 5.9 per cent rise in jet fuel prices in November driven by refinery disruptions, and European Union restrictions on Russian-derived products. These factors have contributed to increased crack spreads approaching double last year's levels. The association also observed a strengthening in global manufacturing sentiment in November, with the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rising for the fourth consecutive month to reach 51.17. However, it noted that new export orders, although improving slightly to 49.87, still lingered below the 50-point expansion threshold, indicating ongoing caution amid tariff uncertainties. The statement further detailed the total cargo traffic market share by carriers in terms of cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK): Asia-Pacific (34.3 per cent), Europe (21.5 per cent), North America (25.7 per cent), the Middle East (13.6 per cent), Latin America and the Caribbean (2.9 per cent), and Africa (2.0 per cent). Overall, total demand measured in CTK increased by 5.5 per cent in November 2025 compared to a year ago, with international operations seeing a rise of 6.9 per cent. Meanwhile, capacity, as measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres, grew by 4.7 per cent compared to November 2024, with international operations experiencing a 6.5 per cent increase.