WEEKLY NEWS


CARGO GRIDLOCK: EMERGING MARKET AIRPORTS ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME


AIR CARG O WEEK


BY Tanmay TIWARY


AS global supply chains rebalance and air cargo demand accelerates, congestion at emerging market airports is no longer a cyclical inconvenience. It is becoming a structural constraint—one that is already influencing airline network decisions, shipper routing choices and, ultimately, national trade competitiveness. Global air cargo volumes exceeded 120 million tonnes in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by more


than eight percent, according to Airports Council International (ACI). Asia-Pacific and Africa were among the fastest-growing regions, and ACI forecasts cargo growth at emerging market airports of four to five percent annually over the next two decades—well above the assumptions underpinning many existing airport master plans. Yet infrastructure delivery has failed to keep pace. The result is a widening gap between demand


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and capacity that industry participants increasingly describe as predictable and persistent rather than temporary.


Network decisions are already shifting For airlines, congestion at key emerging market gateways is no longer an abstract planning risk. Senior cargo executives say extended ground times, apron bottlenecks and terminal constraints are eroding aircraft utilisation and undermining route economics—factors that now feature prominently in freighter deployment and hub selection decisions. Several executives note that constrained infrastructure is forcing carriers to narrow operating windows,


selectively deploy freighters or route cargo through alternative hubs with faster ground handling, even when flight times are longer. In some cases, congested airports are being deprioritised for incremental freighter capacity despite strong underlying demand. From an airline perspective, this reflects a structural recalibration rather than short-term schedule


management. Where congestion becomes embedded, network flexibility—not market demand—determines where capacity ultimately flows.


Ground congestion is reshaping cargo economics Freight forwarders and ground handlers report that overcrowded terminals, limited apron access and inefficient landside connectivity remain persistent pain points at many emerging market airports. Executives at multinational logistics firms estimate that average cargo dwell times at congested hubs can be 20–30 percent higher than at comparable airports in North America or Europe. These delays carry tangible cost implications. Longer dwell times increase working capital requirements,


undermine schedule reliability and complicate service guarantees for time-sensitive shipments. Forwarders say congestion is increasingly factored into transit-time commitments, with downstream effects on inventory planning and customer contracts. Shipper behaviour is beginning to reflect these realities. In sectors such as electronics, pharmaceuticals and perishables,


forwarders report that predictable congestion is influencing routing decisions, with marginal volumes diverted to sea-air solutions or alternative gateways when delays become systemic.


India: Demand concentration meets infrastructure limits India illustrates the challenge at scale. The country’s air cargo throughput rose to approximately 3.4 million tonnes in FY24, up more than 10 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Volumes have rebounded sharply since the pandemic, supported by manufacturing growth and export diversification. However, industry participants say capacity at major gateways such as Delhi and Mumbai remains


stretched. Executives at large Indian freight forwarding companies note that more than 60 percent of international air cargo continues to move through a small number of metro airports, intensifying congestion during peak periods. While regional demand is rising, many tier-2 airports still lack dedicated cargo terminals, modern cold-chain


infrastructure and seamless road connectivity. Airline executives say this has made carriers cautious about deploying widebody freighters to secondary airports, despite growing export volumes from manufacturing clusters outside the major metros. The result is a feedback loop in which demand concentration reinforces infrastructure pressure, rather


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than being alleviated by network diversification.


Africa’s uneven cargo landscape Across Africa, cargo performance is similarly uneven. Ethiopian Airlines Group has positioned Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport as a continental cargo hub, handling more than 700,000 tonnes in 2023 following sustained investment in freighter fleets and cargo facilities. Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has also expanded cold storage and perishables handling capacity to support horticulture exports. Beyond a small number of leading hubs, however, much of the continent’s airport network continues to


operate with ageing facilities. Cargo executives active in African markets cite limited warehouse space, constrained apron availability and manual customs processes as persistent obstacles. According to IATA, air cargo demand in Africa grew by more than eight percent in 2024, yet infrastructure


investment has lagged traffic growth in several markets. Without coordinated upgrades to airport facilities, customs processes and surface connectivity, industry participants warn that demand growth risks outpacing operational capability.


Investment gaps and execution bottlenecks At the core of the issue is a widening infrastructure investment gap. ACI estimates that airports in Asia- Pacific and the Middle East alone will require more than US$240 billion in capital expenditure by 2040, spanning runways, terminals, cargo facilities and landside access. Airport operators acknowledge the constraints. Executives cite funding limitations, land acquisition


challenges and regulatory approval timelines as recurring bottlenecks. Smaller airports, in particular, struggle to justify large-scale cargo investment without firm, long-term commitments from airlines and integrators—slowing diversification and reinforcing reliance on established hubs. Technology is helping at the margins. Cargo handlers report growing adoption of digital truck slot


management systems, warehouse automation and predictive analytics to manage peak flows. Industry estimates suggest that such systems can reduce truck turnaround times by 15–25 percent at congested facilities. Digitisation of documentation is also progressing. Airlines and forwarders say broader use of electronic


air waybills and pre-arrival customs filings has shortened clearance times where regulators are aligned with digital processes. IATA data show global e-AWB penetration has surpassed 80 percent, though uptake remains uneven across emerging markets. Still, industry executives caution that digital tools cannot compensate indefinitely for physical


constraints. Where warehouse capacity, apron space and landside access are structurally limited, throughput gains remain incremental. From recognition to delivery Policy alignment is emerging as a critical determinant of progress. Airport councils and cargo


associations increasingly argue that air freight must be treated as a strategic trade enabler rather than a by-product of passenger aviation. Dedicated cargo corridors, streamlined customs regimes and public- private partnerships are frequently cited as prerequisites for unlocking private capital and accelerating delivery. There are signs of forward planning. In India, greenfield developments such as Navi Mumbai International


Airport have positioned cargo as a core element of their master plans, with dedicated terminals and multimodal connectivity. Southeast Asian markets, including Vietnam, are forecasting double-digit cargo growth, increasing pressure on authorities to align airport expansion with broader industrial and trade strategies. For exporters of pharmaceuticals, perishables and electronics, the stakes are rising. Persistent congestion is already shaping airline deployment decisions and shipper


implications that extend beyond airport operations into national export performance. The question facing emerging market airports is no longer whether the challenge is understood, but


whether infrastructure delivery can realistically outpace demand. In air cargo, airlines can redeploy assets quickly. Airports cannot. Those that fail to align capacity expansion with trade ambition risk discovering that growth, once diverted, is slow to return.


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