Air Cargo This Week: October 14, 2026
Air freight rates are still well above last year as peak season starts. High jet fuel prices and strong transpacific demand for data center and semiconductor cargo are holding them up. China to Europe is the weak lane, because e-commerce volumes into Europe have fallen.
Fuel
IATA's Jet Fuel Price Monitor put the global average jet fuel price at $190.18 a barrel last week, up 1.5% on the week before (IATA Jet Fuel Price Monitor). TAC Index reports that jet fuel prices were up 108% year on year as of October 2, citing the IATA monitor (TAC Index, Oct 8). Fuel is usually the largest single cost in air freight, which keeps a floor under rates.
Volume trending
| Source | Period | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| WorldACD | Week 39 (Sep 21 to 27) | Tonnage down 4% on the week, up 5% on the year |
| WorldACD via Air Cargo Week | Week 40 (Sep 28 to Oct 4) | Tonnage down 2% on the week, the second weekly fall in a row, with holidays in East Asia |
| WorldACD via Air Cargo Week | September | Asia Pacific and North America origins up 10% on the year, Middle East and South Asia up 9%, Europe and Africa up 8% |
| Xeneta via Air Cargo News | September | Volumes up 6% on the year, capacity up 2%, load factor 62% |
| IATA | August | Demand (CTK) up 4.4% on the year, capacity down 0.1%, load factor 46.0% |
Volumes are growing on the year by every measure. The early October dip lines up with China's Golden Week holiday. WorldACD's week 40 worldwide average rate was $3.14/kg, compared with $2.50/kg a year earlier (WorldACD, week 40), and the Baltic Air Freight Index was still 24.3% above last year after a 2.1% Golden Week dip (Air Cargo News).
Indicative lane pricing
These are indicative spot benchmarks from public sources. Providers measure differently and over different periods, so use them as a guide and get a real quote for your shipment. Blank cells mean the source doesn't publish that figure.
| Lane | Latest spot | Change | Year on year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China to North America | about $5.60/kg (week to Oct 6) | down 15%+ over Golden Week, then up 3% the next week | Freightos Oct 6, Freightos Oct 13 | |
| Northeast Asia to North America | $6.03/kg (Sep average) | up 5% on August | Xeneta via Air Cargo News | |
| China to Europe | $3.58/kg (week to Oct 13) | down 7% on the week | down 9% | Freightos Oct 13 |
| Northeast Asia to Europe | $4.74/kg (Sep average) | up 5% on August | Xeneta via Air Cargo News | |
| Southeast Asia to North America | up 40% | Freightos Oct 13 |
E-commerce trending
Low-value e-commerce into the US and EU is shrinking, and China to US air keeps growing. Universal Postal Union data shows US inbound postal tonnage fell 70.3% in September 2025 after duty-free de minimis was suspended, and EU postal arrivals fell 31.0% in July 2026 after the €3 per-item duty began (UPU executive summary). WorldACD data shows China and Hong Kong to Europe tonnage down 10% on the year in September, while China to US grew 17% (Air Cargo News). Liege Airport says small parcel volumes have dropped 42% since the €3 charge started (Air Cargo News). Amazon launched two China to US air products with estimated transits of 7 to 10 and 11 to 15 days (Air Cargo News).
In the US, CBP proposed a "Low-Value Shipments" rule on October 8 (docket USCBP-2026-0298) for informal entries of $2,500 or less. A forwarder or carrier acting as consignee would have to appoint a licensed customs broker as importer of record. Comments close December 7, 2026, and none of it is in force yet (Federal Register).
Industry news
- Delta's third-quarter cargo revenue rose 29% to $301 million (Air Cargo News).
- Boeing has delivered 20 777 freighters this year and holds 38 unfilled orders (Air Cargo News). Cirium expects about 747 new freighter deliveries over 20 years (Air Cargo News).
- Lufthansa Cargo's winter schedule starts October 25 with up to 46 weekly Asia Pacific freighter rotations (Air Cargo News).
- Frankfurt's September cargo rose 2.5% to 174,773 tonnes, and loadings to the US rose 18.5% (Air Cargo Week).
- Challenge Group suspended its freighters at Navi Mumbai over reliability concerns (Air Cargo News).
- Samsung SDS agreed to buy Incheon consolidator Woojung Air Consolidation (Korea Herald).
- Xeneta says shippers are holding off on long-term contracts and asking for floating rate mechanisms (Air Freight News).
What it means if you ship pallets and crates
Expect firm pricing through peak season while fuel costs stay this high, and quote early for anything that has to move before December. Space from Taiwan, Korea and Southeast Asia into the US is likely to stay tight this quarter, so build in extra lead time. China to Europe is the softer lane for now. If your US-bound entries are under $2,500, keep an eye on the CBP proposal, because it could change who files your entry and what that costs.
See this week's benchmark rates at /rates, or send a $99 Founding Shipper booking request and we'll book your freight at the carrier's price with no markup.