Air transport, freight in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Air transport, freight was 4,414 million ton-km in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
4,414 million ton-km
Change on year
up 9.8%
World rank
12th
of 180 countries
All-time high
7,618 million ton-km
in 1996
All-time low
516.9 million ton-km
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Air transport, freight in United Kingdom, 1970–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k197019962023

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for air transport, freight in United Kingdom is 4,414 million ton-km, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 9.8% on the previous year and down 26.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air transport, freight in United Kingdom peaked at 7,618 million ton-km in 1996 and was at its lowest, 516.9 million ton-km, in 1970.

United Kingdom ranks 12th of 180 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 855.24 million ton-km 516.9 million ton-km 1,264 million ton-km 10
1980s 2,273 million ton-km 1,428 million ton-km 3,447 million ton-km 10
1990s 5,479 million ton-km 3,825 million ton-km 7,618 million ton-km 10
2000s 5,678 million ton-km 4,549 million ton-km 6,615 million ton-km 10
2010s 5,951 million ton-km 5,423 million ton-km 6,280 million ton-km 10
2020s 4,050 million ton-km 3,667 million ton-km 4,414 million ton-km 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 9 Türkiye, Republic of 8,367 million ton-km compare
  2. 10 Singapore 7,604 million ton-km compare
  3. 11 Luxembourg 6,873 million ton-km compare
  4. 13 France 4,302 million ton-km compare
  5. 14 Ethiopia, The Federal Democratic Republic of 4,015 million ton-km compare
  6. 15 Netherlands, The 3,286 million ton-km compare

See the full ranking of 227 places →

More infrastructure data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is air transport, freight in United Kingdom?
Air transport, freight in United Kingdom was 4,414 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 United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 7,618 million ton-km in 1996.
What is the lowest air transport, freight recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 516.9 million ton-km in 1970.
How does United Kingdom rank for air transport, freight?
United Kingdom ranks 12th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
Is air transport, freight rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Civil Aviation Statistics of the World, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/air-transport-freight-million-ton-km/united-kingdom/

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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.