Cathay Cargo achieved a strong performance in September 2026 with cargo throughput of 154,041 tons, up 14.2% compared with the same month in 2025. The Hong Kong carrier was helped by continued demand in mainland China and Southeast Asia, while its freight capacity and traffic numbers were also up year on year.
• Available Freight Ton Kilometers (AFTKs) increased by 5.3% year on year to 1,344,310 thousand. Revenue Freight Ton Kilometers (RFTKs) increased 8.6% to 792,026 thousand. The cargo load factor increased by 1.8 percentage points to 58.9%, indicating an increase in freight traffic relative to available capacity. The number of freighter flight sectors rose by 4.8% to 1,367 in September.
The positive trend continued during the first nine months of 2026. Cathay Cargo carried 1.324 million tons in the period, an 8.9% rise over the same period in 2025. Available freight capacity increased by 3.3% to 11,631,731 thousand AFTKs and revenue freight traffic increased by 4.7% to 6,855,755 thousand RFTKs.
The cargo load factor stood at 58.9% in the January-September period, up 0.8 percentage points year-on-year. However, freighter flight sectors were down 1% to 11,238.
“We continue to see resilience in cargo demand, especially from mainland China and Southeast Asia,” said Cathay’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau commenting on the results. She also pointed to the performance of the airline’s specialist services, adding Cathay Priority continued its momentum, aided by time-critical shipments from Southeast Asia.
Cathay Expert also saw good demand supported by continued semiconductor flows. The carrier’s continued emphasis on time-critical and premium freight in its operations guaranties that these shipments are vital to the demand for specialized cargo handling solutions.
Lau said the demand is expected to further improve as the air cargo industry enters the traditional year-end peak season. The carrier’s positive outlook for the fourth quarter also supports near-term cargo activity, she added.
