Air transport, freight in United States

United States: Air transport, freight was 42,763 million ton-km in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
42,763 million ton-km
Change on year
down 7.0%
World rank
1st
of 180 countries
All-time high
46,005 million ton-km
in 2021
All-time low
5,151 million ton-km
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Air transport, freight in United States, 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

In 2023, air transport, freight in United States stood at 42,763 million ton-km.

The figure is down 7.0% on the previous year and up 15.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air transport, freight in United States peaked at 46,005 million ton-km in 2021 and was at its lowest, 5,151 million ton-km, in 1970.

United States ranks 1st 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 7,071 million ton-km 5,151 million ton-km 8,658 million ton-km 10
1980s 10,594 million ton-km 8,296 million ton-km 14,651 million ton-km 10
1990s 20,015 million ton-km 14,486 million ton-km 27,292 million ton-km 10
2000s 35,158 million ton-km 27,925 million ton-km 40,618 million ton-km 10
2010s 39,702 million ton-km 37,114 million ton-km 42,985 million ton-km 10
2020s 43,883 million ton-km 40,793 million ton-km 46,005 million ton-km 4

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 2 China (People’s Republic of) 26,170 million ton-km compare
  2. 3 Qatar 13,927 million ton-km compare
  3. 4 United Arab Emirates 13,566 million ton-km compare

See the full ranking of 227 places →

More infrastructure data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is air transport, freight in United States?
Air transport, freight in United States was 42,763 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 States?
The highest recorded value was 46,005 million ton-km in 2021.
What is the lowest air transport, freight recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 5,151 million ton-km in 1970.
How does United States rank for air transport, freight?
United States ranks 1st out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
Is air transport, freight rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United States 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 States. 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-states/

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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.