Air freight resists all turbulence

Today's economy Air freight resists all turbulence Published on: 12/11/2026 - 10:12

Listen - 03:35 Air freight is in particularly solid health despite geopolitical tensions and the surge in the price of kerosene. According to the latest figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global demand increased by 7.7% year-on-year in September 2026. Growth driven in particular by high-tech products, e-commerce and the needs of industry.

In a globalized economy where companies seek to reduce delivery times and secure their supplies, speed becomes a decisive advantage. This is what distinguishes air transport from maritime transport, which remains unbeatable in terms of costs, but requires much longer delivery times. For a European consumer ordering a product in Asia, waiting three or four weeks for delivery by boat can be restrictive. For a company, the consequences can be much greater: the absence of a single component on a production line can sometimes lead to the shutdown of an entire factory. The higher cost of air transport can then be largely offset by the avoided losses.

This trend is particularly visible with the rise of artificial intelligence and the construction of data centers all over the world. Processors, semiconductors and servers are high value-added goods, often urgent to transport and which lend themselves particularly well to air transport. According to data presented by Airbus, the value of high-tech products transported by plane has doubled in three years. They now represent 15% of the total value of air freight.

This dynamic is reflected in the results of several companies. Lufthansa Cargo, the subsidiary specializing in freight transport of the German Lufthansa group, has more than tripled its operating profit in one year. At Emirates, whose passenger business was heavily penalized by the war in the Middle East, cargo revenues jumped 52% in the first half of the fiscal year. Cargo therefore also plays a shock absorber role when passenger transport goes through a difficult period. Growth is observed on a global scale. The corridor between Asia and North America is one of the main drivers of the air cargo market. Trade within Asia also recorded double-digit growth. The trend is similar between Europe and North America. These developments demonstrate the growing dependence of large global production chains on the rapid movement of goods.

To meet this demand, aircraft manufacturers anticipate a growing need for cargo planes. Airbus estimates that the global fleet should increase from 2,360 aircraft in 2026 to 3,460 in 2045, an increase of 46%. Boeing is even more optimistic and is counting on more than 4,000 aircraft by this deadline. Manufacturers should therefore benefit from this rise in air transport of goods. Airbus is banking in particular on its new A350F, a cargo plane designed to transport up to 111 tonnes of goods over a distance of 8,700 kilometers, while reducing its fuel consumption.

But this growth does not mean that airlines are immune from difficulties. Their main problem remains the cost of kerosene, the price of which has more than doubled in one year according to IATA. An increase which weighs heavily on their operating expenses. Air freight therefore has a bright future ahead of it. But for companies, the challenge will be above all to make volumes take off without leaving profits on the ground!

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Machine-translated from French