Air transport, freight in North America

North America: Air transport, freight was 44,799 million ton-km in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
44,799 million ton-km
Change on year
down 8.7%
Rank
13th
of 45 groups
All-time high
49,245 million ton-km
in 2021
All-time low
5,522 million ton-km
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Air transport, freight in North America, 1970–2023

10.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k50.0k197019962023

Source: Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Measured in million ton-km.

Analysis

North America recorded 44,799 million ton-km for air transport, freight in 2023.

The figure is down 8.7% on the previous year and up 14.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air transport, freight in North America peaked at 49,245 million ton-km in 2021 and was at its lowest, 5,522 million ton-km, in 1970.

That places North America 13th out of 45 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 7,586 million ton-km 5,522 million ton-km 9,328 million ton-km 10
1980s 11,533 million ton-km 9,042 million ton-km 15,962 million ton-km 10
1990s 21,594 million ton-km 15,728 million ton-km 29,174 million ton-km 10
2000s 36,711 million ton-km 29,634 million ton-km 42,048 million ton-km 10
2010s 41,971 million ton-km 39,060 million ton-km 45,607 million ton-km 10
2020s 46,553 million ton-km 43,099 million ton-km 49,245 million ton-km 4

Countries ranked near North America

  1. 10 Singapore 7,604 million ton-km compare
  2. 11 Luxembourg 6,873 million ton-km compare
  3. 12 United Kingdom 4,414 million ton-km compare
  4. 13 France 4,302 million ton-km compare
  5. 14 Ethiopia 4,015 million ton-km compare
  6. 15 Netherlands 3,286 million ton-km compare
  7. 16 Canada 2,036 million ton-km compare

See the full ranking of 227 places →

More infrastructure data for North America

All data for North America →

Frequently asked questions

What is air transport, freight in North America?
Air transport, freight in North America was 44,799 million ton-km in 2023, according to Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
What is the highest air transport, freight recorded in North America?
The highest recorded value was 49,245 million ton-km in 2021.
What is the lowest air transport, freight recorded in North America?
The lowest recorded value was 5,522 million ton-km in 1970.
How does North America rank for air transport, freight?
North America ranks 13th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
Is air transport, freight rising or falling in North America?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this North America data come from?
The figures come from Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), published as part of Air transport, freight (million ton-km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Air transport, freight in North America. Statizoid, drawing on Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/air-transport-freight-million-ton-km/north-america/

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About this data

Indicator
Air transport, freight (million ton-km)
Unit
million ton-km
Source
Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
227 places, 9,773 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Air freight is the volume of freight, express, and diplomatic bags carried on each flight stage (operation of an aircraft from takeoff to its next landing), measured in metric tons times kilometers traveled.