WEEKLY NEWS


AIRFREIGHT FACES A PIVOTAL RESET BY Edward HARDY


Between compliance burdens, cargo theft, and policy unpredictability, 2025 tested the airfreight industry’s resilience. According to Brandon Fried, Executive Director of the Airforwarders Association, the past year forced forwarders to stay reactive, and left little room for strategic moves. From regulatory overhauls to rising security risks, Brandon Fried,


Executive Director, Airforwarders Association, says 2026 must be the year the industry stops firefighting and gets back to being proactive.


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What was this year’s biggest challenge for the industry? Brandon Fried: “Capacity and stability may have improved, but the biggest challenge was the regulatory pressure cooker the industry found itself in. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and multiple other federal agencies rolled


out or proposed major security and compliance changes, including the expansion of Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS), screening program updates, and initiatives to prevent cargo theft, without fully considering the operational and financial strain on forwarders.” “Add to that tariff uncertainty and shifting trade policies, plus rising


cargo theft and ongoing airport congestion, and the industry spent much of the year trying to keep up rather than get ahead.”


How would you summarise the airfreight industry in 2025? “2025 was the year of ‘adjustment while moving.’ Demand was uneven, compliance burdens jumped, freighter networks kept shifting, and policy unpredictability, especially around tariffs, forced companies to remain flexible. From forwarders to airports, every stakeholder had to recalibrate quickly.” “It wasn’t a bad year, but it was a grinding, transition-heavy year where agility mattered more than anything.”


What should the industry focus on throughout 2026? Executive Director of the Airforwarders Association recommends three key priorities for the coming year. Security readiness: “Prepare now for TSA rule changes, expanded data


requirements, and tighter oversight. The days of last-minute compliance are over.” Cargo theft mitigation: “Theft is hitting levels we haven’t seen before.


Industry and government cooperation needs to move from ‘discussion’ to coordinated ‘action.’” Technology investment to solve bottlenecks: “Too many hype projects


have over promised and underdelivered. Forwarders need tools that improve data visibility, airport throughput, and communication with carriers and ground handlers.” “And woven through all of this, companies must watch tariff volatility


and policy shifts as these will affect routing decisions, landed cost calculations, and customer expectations. “The overriding theme,” Fried concludes, “is that 2026 must be the


year the industry becomes proactive again rather than remaining on the defensive.”


Did You Know ? NEW REVOLUTION BY Michael SALES


HAVING lived in Paris for many years, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a gift from my French friend, a magnificent illustrated book entitled “Les Français en révolte”, a history of rebellions and strikes in France since 1848. The French have never been shy about protest, insurrection, and strikes, and during my years in the City of Love, I witnessed many such protests. But alas, industrial disputes are happening all over the world. If we look at transport, regardless of


the mode, aviation is the sector that is inherently prone to suffering from disputes. The shutdown of an entire airport operation can be triggered by a simple action, such as a fire service strike or a baggage handlers’ stoppage. For example, in Germany, a one-


day strike was called in January 2025 over a wage dispute with the Deutsche Post subsidiary of DHL. After the four-day strike in August 2024, Heathrow Border Force staff worked to rule and refused to work overtime. Brussels-Zaventem and Charleroi airports, in late November, had to cancel all departure flights and most arrivals due to a national strike. Flying both passengers and cargo has


become a highly strategic business, and following the COVID pandemic, airports and carriers have had to squeeze costs and compete on rates as never before. Staff shortages and huge levels of disruption force many workers at airlines and airports to endure long, stressful hours, low pay, and poor working conditions. Airline cargo strike mitigations involve logistics


proactive planning, such as


rerouting or


and carriers, using alternative alongside airports contingency


measures, such as pre-booking space and strengthening communication with partners to manage inevitable delays from staff walkouts affecting ground handling, ATC, or flight crews. Companies minimise disruption by booking early, using strong forwarder relationships


for protected space, and


shifting to full freighters or trucking when belly-hold cargo is impacted. Key mitigation strategies include staying


informed about potential problems, shifting cargo to unaffected airports or trucking to bypass strike zones, booking with multiple airlines,


over passenger belly-hold space, and pre- planning alternative routes and workarounds for


time-sensitive begin. ACW 23 FEBRUARY 2026 www.aircargoweek.com goods before strikes


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