Global air cargo rates continued their upward march in the week ending April 26, 2026, reaching a worldwide full-market average of $3.19 per kilogram, though the pace of increase is showing signs of moderating as a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran allows some capacity to return to disrupted Middle East routes.
Data published on April 30 by WorldACD Market Data, drawn from more than 500,000 weekly transactions, shows the worldwide rate now stands 30 percent above the same period last year, up from the 27 percent year-on-year premium recorded in Week 16. The five-week trajectory tells a consistent story: from $2.96 in late March, rates have climbed steadily through $3.07, $3.15, $3.17, and now $3.19, reflecting the accumulated impact of elevated jet fuel costs, rerouted flight paths, and the ongoing suppression of capacity through Gulf transit hubs since US and Israeli military strikes on Iran began on February 28.
The Middle East and South Asia (MESA) region remains the most severely affected origin market. MESA capacity contracted a further 16 percent year on year in the two weeks to April 26, while rates from the region are running 65 percent above their level a year ago, the highest year-on-year premium of any origin region tracked by WorldACD. Despite the ceasefire that has been in place since April 8, a full recovery of MESA aviation capacity remains some way off.
For Africa, the data points to a market where shippers are paying significantly more while moving less. Rates from African origins rose five percent in the two weeks to April 26 on a two-weeks-over-two-weeks basis and are now 38 percent higher year on year, up from the 32 percent premium recorded in the previous reporting period. At the same time, chargeable weight from African origins fell three percent over the same two-week comparison and sits 10 percent below its level a year ago, a combination that reflects both the broader disruption to global logistics networks and the cost burden being absorbed by African exporters.
One notable corridor stands out. Volumes from Africa to North America rose 14 percent in the two weeks to April 26, with rates on that lane surging 43 percent over the same period, the largest rate increase on any outbound African corridor in WorldACD’s regional breakdown for the reporting period.
Globally, worldwide chargeable weight rose five percent over the two-week period and is seven percent above year-ago levels, suggesting underlying demand remains resilient even as the market adjusts to a structurally different cost and capacity environment.
