WEEKLY NEWS


From the Head of Editorial A


cross the pages this week, a consistent thread emerg- es. The industry is shifting from scale-driven efficiency to networked adaptability, where geography, data integ- rity, and operational elasticity now matter as much as lift itself.


That evolution is most visible in the way regional gateways are


reasserting themselves. The traditional concentration of e-com- merce flows through Europe’s largest hubs is beginning to show its limits, and not just in congestion terms. What is more revealing is the rethink underway among operators who are increasingly willing to bypass legacy entry points in favour of distributed processing models. Latvia’s positioning is emblematic of that shift. Riga’s emergence


as a regional consolidation and customs node reflects a broader re- calibration in how cross-border e-commerce is handled. Rather than competing on volume against established megahubs, the model leans into proximity, speed of clearance, and downstream connec- tivity into Scandinavia, the Baltics and parts of Central Europe. It is a pragmatic response to a market where delay risk is now often created on the ground rather than in the air. What stands out is the way disruption has acted less as an in-


terruption and more as a forcing mechanism. Resilience is now built through optionality, not centralisation. This is where the role of the GSSA becomes particularly instruc-


02


tive. The function is undergoing a quiet but decisive transformation. Once defined by sales coverage and tonnage generation, it is in- creasingly judged on its ability to shape revenue quality, manage regulatory friction, and act as an operational extension of the airline itself. Airlines are no longer outsourcing representation; they are out-


sourcing decision support. That shift is subtle but consequential.


In volatile corridors,


GSSAs are being asked to arbitrate between cargo types, manage yield compression, and increasingly align with airline revenue man- agement systems in real time. The emphasis is moving away from “filling capacity” towards “protecting network value”. It is a recal-


CAPACITY CRUNCH KEEPS AIRFREIGHT RATES ELEVATED


BY Edward HARDY


THE airfreight market remains defined by a widening gap between weakening volumes and persistently elevated pricing, driven less by demand strength and more by structural capacity constraints and regional disruption. Across the latest data, global tonnage has generally moved


lower, with broad-based


declines outside the Middle East and South Asia. Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas all recorded contractions in the most recent week, while seasonal factors such as Easter likely amplified the softness. However, the more important signal is not cyclical volatility but the lack of consistent demand recovery across major export regions. In contrast, pricing dynamics remain firmly


inflated. Global spot and blended rates have continued to rise both week on week and year on year, with increases now in the high teens to low twenties on an annual basis across


ACW 20 APRIL 2026


multiple indices. Even where individual lanes show minor week-on-week easing, the broader trajectory remains upward. Asia-origin flows into Europe and the United States are a clear example: volumes have softened, yet yields have


strengthened, indicating tightening


capacity rather than demand-driven pricing power. The Middle East retains it’s role as the central


structural driver of the current market. Despite fragile geopolitical conditions, the region has shown relative resilience in tonnage growth compared with other origins, but capacity remains materially below pre-conflict levels. This imbalance has pushed rates sharply higher year on year, particularly on long-haul flows into Europe and the United States. Even with incremental capacity restoration, recovery is slow and uneven, ensuring persistent upward pressure on pricing.


Elsewhere, Europe shows mixed


performance, with selective strength on transatlantic and niche eastbound lanes offset by weakness on Asia and South America routes. The United States is similarly fragmented, with isolated strength to South America but softer performance into Asia and Europe. Overall, the industry is operating in a supply


constrained environment bellyhold capacity recovery, where fuel costs and


geopolitical risk premiums outweigh demand signals.


Head of Editorial: Supplement Editor: News Reporter:


Regional Representative (APAC):


Edward Hardy James Graham


Anastasiya Simsek Ajinkya Gurav


Regional Representative (North America): Oscar Sardinas Director of Operations:


Kim Smith International Media Sales Director: Rosa Bellanca


Senior Publishing And Events Manager: Chris Richman Finance Manager:


Design & Production Manager: Production Supervisor: Website Consultant:


Rachel Burns Alex Brown Kevin Dennis


Tim Brocklehurst T: +44 (0)1737 906107


Advertising: sales@azurainternational.com Press releases: news@azurainternational.com


The ACW Team


Edward HARDY, Head of Editorial


ibration that mirrors broader industry pressures where demand is less predictable, margins are thinner, and regulatory interventions more frequent. Emerging markets are exposing a different constraint: capabil-


ity density. India’s evolving GSSA landscape highlights how scale alone is insufficient without trained operational depth. The shift from metro-centric to tiered-city logistics mirrors a broader frag- mentation of demand, where growth is increasingly distributed but infrastructure maturity is uneven. Across all of this, the industry is becoming more technologically


capable at precisely the moment it is becoming more operational- ly uncertain. Red Sea reroutings, regulatory tightening in Europe, and shifting trade lanes are not episodic disturbances but part of a wider environment of persistent instability. What ties these themes together is not transformation for its


own sake, but adaptation under pressure. Whether in infrastructure expansion or the evolving mandate of GSSAs, the direction of travel is consistent, with less dependence on singular nodes and more em- phasis on distributed intelligence. What is emerging is a more uneven but more resilient operating


landscape, where advantage sits with those able to switch be- tween corridors, partners and frameworks without friction. Scale still matters, but it is no longer decisive on its own. In this environ- ment, competitiveness will be defined less by the size of a network and more by the ease with which it can be re-cut, re-routed and re-optimised as trade, regulation and disruption continue to evolve.


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of or attributed to the contents of Air Cargo Week, insofar as they are based on information, presentations, reports or data that have been publicly disseminated, furnished or otherwise communicated to Air Cargo Week. © AZura international 2026 • ISSN 2040-1671 -


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