Africa’s air cargo industry is poised for growth, driven by expanding trade, e-commerce, and the continent’s vast potential.
Industry leaders convened at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi for the Air Cargo and Transport Logistics Africa 2025 conference, focusing on multimodal transport solutions.
Kenya Airways CEO and MD, Allan Kilavuka, urged the need for collaboration and innovation to grow the industry and African economies.
He highlighted the conference theme, “Primed for Growth Against all Odds,” emphasizing the importance of overcoming challenges to achieve growth.
Kilavuka also stressed the critical role of sustainability, noting that in Africa, it encompasses economic, social, and governance aspects, in addition to environmental concerns.
“For us, it will be important for this industry to grow so that we can support the ecosystem that eventually will support environmental sustainability. At Kenya Airways, our mission is to prosper Africa by connecting its people, cultures, and markets. And I believe that this expo coming back to Kenya talks exactly to our mission in Kenya Airways.”
The Air Cargo Africa 2025 conference, returning to Kenya after 14 years, attracted over 60 exhibitors and 2,000 attendees, including global and regional leaders in air cargo, freight logistics, and supply chain management.
The event facilitated networking, knowledge sharing, and engagement with key stakeholders, including shippers, forwarders, integrators, e-tailers, consignees, importers, exporters, manufacturers, and logistics & supply chain management professionals.
For KQ Cargo, the conference provided an opportunity to connect with its target market, forge partnerships, initiate business discussions, and solidify its position as a preferred air cargo provider.
African airline cargo demand up 8.5% in 2024
According to IATA’s 2024 analysis, African airlines saw an 8.5% year-on-year increase in air cargo demand, coupled with a 13.6% rise in cargo capacity.
However, the cargo load factor remained at 41.8%, indicating significant unused capacity.
In December 2024, demand decreased by 0.9% year-on-year while capacity increased by 1.8%. Africa’s share of the global air cargo market in 2024 was 2.0%.
While air cargo volumes are smaller than other modes of transport, they are crucial for high-value goods, perishables, and e-commerce.
IATA Director-General Willie Walsh noted that air cargo was a standout performer in 2024, driven by e-commerce and ocean shipping disruptions, leading to profitable growth and high yields.
“Importantly, it was a year of profitable growth. Demand, up 11.3% year on year, was boosted by particularly strong e-commerce and various ocean shipping restrictions. This, combined with airspace restrictions that limited capacity on some key long-haul routes to Asia, helped to keep yields at exceptionally high levels. While average yields continued to soften from peaks in 2021-2022, they averaged 39% higher than 2019.”
Looking ahead to 2025, IATA forecasts a 5.8% growth in air cargo, aligned with historical trends.
