New figures from the Israel Airports Authority show that Ben Gurion Airport handled 31,653 tons of air cargo in September 2026. That is 5.26% less than the 33,413 tons handled in September 2025. Since the start of the year, volume reached 264,245 tons, down 4.53% from 276,812 tons in the same period last year.

Freighters carry most of the load

Dedicated cargo aircraft moved about 73.6% of all cargo, a total of 23,302 tons, down 3.29%. Imports on freighters held almost steady at 17,419 tons (down 0.37%), while exports fell 11% to 5,883 tons. There were 697 freighter movements (360 arrivals and 337 departures), 5.81% fewer than a year earlier.

Belly cargo drops more sharply

Passenger aircraft carried 8,351 tons, down 10.36%. Inbound belly cargo fell 4.78% to 3,635 tons and outbound dropped 16.7% to 4,716 tons.

Who flew the cargo

CAL was the leading freighter operator with about 9,682 tons, up 21.66%, giving it a 41.55% share of freighter cargo. El Al carried roughly 1,449 tons on freighters (6.2%) and about 4,301 tons on its passenger planes, around 51.5% of all belly cargo.

Main freighter routes

Belgium led with 5,099 tons (21.88%), followed by Germany with 4,320 tons (18.53%) and China with 4,310 tons (18.49%). China volume rose 74.35% from last year. The UAE (1,936 tons, 8.30%) and Uzbekistan (1,383 tons, 5.93%) completed the top five.

What it means for importers

Import capacity on freighters remains stable, while export volumes and passenger-plane capacity are shrinking. The strong growth on the China lane gives importers more direct air options from Asia, but space on passenger flights may be tighter, so booking early is advised.