Global air freight rates have reached their highest point in more than a year, with average worldwide rates rising to $3.16 per kilogram in the week ending April 19, 2026, representing a 27 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025, as the US-Iran conflict continues to reshape international cargo routes and drive up costs across the supply chain.
The data, published by WorldACD Market Data and based on more than 500,000 transactions per week, shows that rates have climbed steadily from $2.83 per kilogram in mid-March to $3.16 by mid-April, a trajectory that reflects the combined impact of elevated jet fuel costs, rerouted flight paths and constrained capacity through the Gulf region.
The Middle East and South Asia (MESA) origin region has recorded the most dramatic rate shift. Average spot rates from MESA stood at $4.81 per kilogram in the week ending April 12, up 66 percent compared with the same week a year earlier, even as capacity from the region remains approximately 20 percent below year-ago levels. The WorldACD Week 16 data confirms that MESA capacity continued to contract, falling 20 percent year on year in the most recent reporting period, while volumes have declined 16 percent.
Africa has not been insulated from the disruption. From March to mid-April, African air cargo volumes fell 11 percent year on year following a period of growth earlier in 2026, as the broader restructuring of global logistics networks weighed on emerging market freight flows. Week 16 data shows Africa’s chargeable weight down 16 percent year on year, while rates from the continent are up 32 percent compared with 2025, reflecting a market where shippers are paying significantly more to move less.
The rate surge has been fuelled primarily by the closure of Gulf transit hubs and the resulting need to reroute cargo over longer distances. Aviation connectivity at Qatar’s Doha hub fell to less than 7 percent of normal levels following the outbreak of conflict, forcing a rapid restructuring of networks with Istanbul, Baku, Cairo and Riyadh absorbing significant volumes above pre-war baselines. Rerouting flights over Central Asia or North Africa has added between one and three hours of flying time, increasing fuel consumption and operating costs per shipment.
Jet fuel costs have been the most direct transmission mechanism from the conflict to freight pricing. Since the Strait of Hormuz closure, jet fuel prices rose almost to double their pre-war level by mid-March, with constraints on fuel availability at key hubs limiting the ability of carriers to restore capacity even where demand has recovered.
A two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran raised hopes earlier in April of a broader resolution, but analysts have warned that inflation and elevated fuel costs are likely to persist even if the truce holds, as bellyhold capacity through the Middle East will take time to fully recover and container shipping lines do not expect a return to pre-conflict flows soon.
Asia Pacific remains the strongest-performing major region on a year-to-date basis, with rates up 21 percent year on year in the latest period. Europe has seen rates rise 32 percent above last year’s levels, while North America rates are up 19 percent. The only regions recording year-on-year volume growth in the latest two-week window are North America and Asia Pacific, with all other regions reporting declines.
