AMMAN — volume of land transit cargo increased by 84.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the corresponding period of 2025, according to Ministry of Transport data released on Saturday.

 

Land transit cargo reached 4,944,135 tonnes in the third quarter of 2026, up from 2,677,264 tonnes in the same period of 2025, while imported cargo rose by 6.9 per cent to 4,927,537 tonnes, compared with 4,608,507 tonnes a year earlier, Al Mamlaka TV reported.

 

Imported domestic goods increased by 7.1 per cent to 4,780,766 tonnes. However, total overland freight movement declined by 10.4 per cent to 12,841,005 tonnes, down from 14,323,533 tonnes, due to an 18.5 per cent drop in exported cargo to 7,913,468 tonnes.

 

Inbound and outbound truck traffic across all border crossings increased by 55 per cent to 575,815 trucks, compared with 371,444 in the third quarter of 2025.

 

Land passenger movement also rose by 32.8 per cent to 4,577,795 travellers, up from 3,447,692.

 

Air transport data showed a 14.9 per cent increase in aircraft movements to 28,181 flights, compared with 24,527 in the corresponding period of 2025. Passenger traffic also rose by 6.11 per cent to 3,127,019.

 

Air cargo volume increased by 3 per cent to 20,549 tonnes, up from 19,950 tonnes, while air mail volume declined by 21.85 per cent to 198.5 tonnes, compared with 254 tonnes in the third quarter of 2025.

 

Maritime transport statistics for Aqaba ports showed a 9 per cent decline in total cargo traffic to 6,764,241 tonnes, down from 7,433,023 tonnes in the same period of 2025.

 

Sea imports fell by 4.81 per cent to 3,981,133 tonnes, while exported cargo decreased by 14.39 per cent to 2,783,108 tonnes.

 

Imported container traffic increased by 23.53 per cent to 167,778 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), while exported container traffic rose by 8.94 per cent to 146,491 TEUs.

 

This brought total container traffic up by 16.27 per cent to 314,269 TEUs, compared with 270,286 TEUs in the third quarter of 2025.

 

Railway transport performance also improved in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the second quarter of the same year.

 

Train trips increased by 24 per cent, from 25 to 31, while passenger numbers rose by 22.3 per cent, from 3,655 to 4,469.