Airfreight Insights

The military escalation in the Middle East has significantly impacted the global airfreight industry.

While we have seen some stabilization in the airfreight market over the past weeks, a new wave of mutual attacks is creating uncertainty about whether the situation will escalate further.

Therefore, our key takeaway from recent months – “expect the unexpected” – remains highly relevant, as regional developments continue to be volatile and unpredictable.

Our Current Market Analysis

• Middle Eastern airlines continue to restore their flight schedules by adding further frequencies to their network. The region’s three major airlines – Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways – are now operating at nearly pre-war levels, according to Flightradar24 data from July 5. This flight index compares the average daily number of flights operated before the conflict to current daily operations.

• The higher cost of jet fuel remains a challenge for the aviation industry. Despite a price decrease over the past three months (compared to the absolute peak in April), prices remain significantly higher than last year. According to the IATA Jet Fuel Price Monitor published on July 3, jet fuel prices reflect a 32% year-on-year increase.

• Effective July 1, the European Union implemented its announced €3 fixed customs duty on parcels valued under €150. This has triggered a sharp decline in e-commerce volumes on the Hong Kong/China-to-Europe trade lane. In response, carriers have canceled a massive number of freighter flights, leading to a substantial reduction in available capacity on this route.

• Demand for AI-infrastructure-related shipments and semiconductors continues to be a powerful driver of air cargo volumes on the trade lane from Asia to the USA.

   

Current Market Assessment from July 10, 2026:

Current Key Takeaways

Practical Recommendations for Customers

• Book time-sensitive shipments in advance to secure space.

• Rail Solutions: Rail transport via the Iron Silk Road is a viable alternative to airfreight and seafreight from Asia (China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Japan) to Europe. This service is running smoothly with highly competitive transit times of around 15-20 days between China to Europe. Additionally, by choosing Rail transport, customers can benefit from cost savings of about 60% compared to airfreight service. Due to high demand, available capacity for rail transport is very tight. Therefore, we recommend booking as early as possible to secure your space.

• Stay alert to disruptions and tariff changes

• Forward planning and flexibility remain key.

Your cargo-partner representative is ready to help you navigate the current situation, assess the potential impacts on your supply chain, and secure the best transport solution for your shipments.

cargo-partner Consolidation Services:

• Competitive pricing

• Secured space on weekly flights

• Pre-carriage and on-carriage services

• Comprehensive customs clearance services

• First and Last-Mile solutions with extensive local network

• Supervision by local offices at origin and destination

cargo-partner Key Gateways

• Dual gateway VIE/BUD to cover the Central and Eastern European region

• Coverage of China by our gateways in South, Central and North China

• Our gateways offer extensive connectivity and advanced infrastructure

• Dedicated gateway teams in Europe and Asia ensure streamlined operations 

• Benefit from regular consolidation programs with competitive pricing

cargo-partner Green SAF Program

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) enables companies to reduce airfreight-related CO₂ emissions without changing their existing logistics setup. Learn more about cargo-partner's Green SAF Program below.