Air cargo volumes in Central Asia have more than doubled since 2019, according to a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) cited by The Astana Times.

That growth rate stands out in a global air freight market that has expanded only modestly over the same period. For carriers, forwarders and shippers active on east-west corridors, a doubling of regional volumes in five years signals a structural shift rather than a post-pandemic rebound.

What does the IATA report show?

The report tracks air cargo traffic across the Central Asian region and compares current volumes with the 2019 baseline. The headline finding is simple: freight tonnage handled in and through the region now exceeds twice its pre-pandemic level.

Central Asia has historically been a thin air freight market, dependent on a handful of gateways and largely serving transit flows between Europe and East Asia. A doubling of volumes since 2019 indicates that more cargo now moves on routes touching Kazakhstan and its neighbors, whether as belly hold, freighter capacity or charter operations.

Why does the growth matter commercially?

For carriers, the data point argues for deploying additional freighter capacity and reviewing network plans to include Central Asian stopovers or technical halts. Airlines that already serve the region gain denser backhaul options; those that do not face a rising opportunity cost as volumes concentrate.

For forwarders, a region generating twice its 2019 tonnage becomes a viable sourcing and routing alternative. Shippers moving goods between China, Europe and the Gulf can weigh air options via Central Asian hubs against congested traditional gateways.

For airports and ground handlers in the region, the growth trajectory justifies investment in cargo terminals, cold-chain facilities and trucking links. Capacity that lags volume growth typically shows up first in congestion and then in rate premiums.

What comes next?

IATA's regional reports are watched closely as leading indicators of where freighter capacity and network investment will flow next. If Central Asia sustains even a fraction of its post-2019 growth pace, carriers and logistics operators can be expected to deepen their presence in the region in the coming scheduling seasons.