An estimated 30% of Asia-Europe air cargo is routed via the Middle East, so the sudden closure of airspace in the Persian Gulf has left forwarders scrambling for capacity on freighters and passenger aircraft out of Asia.

An estimated 30% of Asia–Europe air cargo capacity is routed via the Middle East, and with options through the region severely constrained by the US-Iran war, a rush for Asia–Europe air cargo capacity is pushing up prices.

Truck-air solutions are also taking off with rising interest from shippers as the Middle East war removes the popular sea-air services via Jebel Ali in the UAE as a viable option.

Tobias Meyer said companies are starting to consider offloading Asia export cargo at ports in the Indian subcontinent for eventual onward shipment into the Gulf region, but it has not yet emerged as a trend.

Stefan Paul said almost 20% of global air freight capacity from the belly hold of passenger aircraft and via freighter aircraft charters has been cut from the market because Middle East airports are closed or flights have been otherwise canceled.

The US has established a maritime warning zone, effectively placing the region out of bounds to shipping, while airlines have suspended passenger and freighter flights across the Middle East.

The US has established a maritime warning zone, effectively placing the region out of bounds to shipping, while airlines have suspended passenger and freighter flights across the Middle East.

Absorbing its largest and most complex takeover to date was initially expected to take at least two years to complete, but will now be fully wrapped 20 months after the DB Schenker acquisition closed.

Momentum from robust growth on some Asian export trade lanes following the Christmas holidays has now slowed, with forwarders and analysts expecting muted demand over the coming two weeks.

The parcel giant saw its forwarding and third-party logistics business drop in the fourth quarter due to higher tariffs, and says the weakness will carry over into the first quarter of 2026.

The multimodal option is aimed at shippers wanting predictability in cross-border shipments and the ability to control costs.

A drop in air freight charter rates has put the option of project cargoes moving by air back on the table.

The growth in traffic on intra-Asian routes is a result of ongoing US demand for cloud infrastructure logistics related to the rapid development of AI technology.

Airlines will continue to adjust capacity to account for shifts in volume, but the volatility of US trade policy and continued demand growth fueled by the AI boom will make this more difficult.

Data from consultants Trade and Transport Group shows the impact of regulatory changes as  de minimis traffic fell significantly while regular air cargo increased.

As economists question whether the US consumer is finally pulling back as tariff costs increasingly show in store prices, another major generator of freight manufacturing orders is showing signs of sputtering.