Top 25 Global Cargo Airlines 2024: FedEx Retains the Crown

The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) compiles data from over 240 airlines, covering capacity, demand, and finances. Its 2024 ranking of top cargo carriers—based on scheduled cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK)—places FedEx first with 18.1bn CTK, up 1.2%. Qatar Airways follows with 15.2bn, and UPS is close at 15.1bn. Emirates, Atlas Air, Turkish Airlines, Korean Air, China Southern, Cathay Pacific, and Cargolux round out the top ten. British Airways, Etihad, and China Eastern join the list; Avianca, Polar Air Cargo, and Asiana (now AirZeta) drop out. Global cargo demand rose 11.3%, driven by high e-commerce volumes and ocean shipping constraints.