Cathay Cargo September tonnage rises 14.2%

Cathay Cargo reported carrying 154,041 tonnes of cargo in September 2026, a 14.2% increase year on year. Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) rose 5.3% to 1,344,310 thousand, while Revenue Freight Tonne Kilometres (RFTKs) increased 8.6% to 792,026 thousand. The cargo load factor improved by 1.8 percentage points to 58.9%, and the number of freighter flight sectors grew 4.8% to 1,367.

For the first nine months of 2026, total cargo tonnage rose 8.9% year on year to 1.324 million tonnes. AFTKs increased 3.3% to 11,631,731 thousand and RFTKs grew 4.7% to 6,855,755 thousand. The cumulative cargo load factor stood at 58.9%, up 0.8 percentage points, while freighter flight sectors declined 1% to 11,238.

Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said year-on-year tonnage growth continued in September, with demand remaining resilient from the Chinese Mainland and Southeast Asia. She said the Cathay Priority product maintained its momentum on time-critical shipments from Southeast Asia, while continued semiconductor flows underpinned strong demand for Cathay Expert.

Looking ahead, the carrier expects demand to strengthen further as the traditional year-end air cargo peak season approaches, supported by a positive market outlook for the fourth quarter.