Against the odds air cargo growth shows the value of forwarders
Few would deny this is a difficult time for the global economy. Conflict in the Middle East, tariffs and trade uncertainty, volatile fuel costs, and disrupted transport corridors are creating challenges with no respect for borders.
Yet air cargo demand is growing. IATA reported an 8.5% year on year increase in global air cargo demand in June 2026, compared with a 4.4% increase in capacity and 5.2% growth in global trade.
Importantly, this was not simply the result of a broad-based surge in global exports. IATA noted that export orders remained weak, with growth concentrated in particular trade lanes supported by high-value technology products and urgent shipments.
That makes the forwarder's role even more consequential: knowing where capacity exists, anticipating disruption, and quickly assembling workable alternatives.
For me, the figures underline something the freight forwarding community has demonstrated repeatedly in recent years: disruption does not remove the need to move goods. It makes the ability to adapt even more important.
At the Airforwarders Association, I see every day the value forwarders bring to the economy and our daily lives. When capacity tightens, routes become unavailable, or regulations change, forwarders find alternatives. They bring together carriers, airports, handlers, customs authorities, and customers to keep cargo moving.
That work has helped strengthen supply chain resilience. After years of shocks, alternative routings, contingency planning, and the ability to respond quickly are no longer exceptional measures. They are part of how this industry operates.
New sources of demand
There is another side to the story. While forwarders are managing uncertainty, new sources of demand are creating significant opportunities.
Artificial intelligence is one of them. Building the infrastructure required to support AI means moving servers, semiconductors, memory chips, and other sensitive, high value equipment quickly and reliably. Some estimates suggest US data center capacity to double over the next three years.
For forwarders, this is about much more than booking airfreight capacity. Data center projects require storage, staging, sequencing, final mile delivery, installation support, vendor management, and, as facilities enter operation, spare parts and service logistics. That gives forwarders an opportunity to apply their expertise across far more of the supply chain.
E-commerce also continues to generate demand, while other cargo demonstrates the wider importance of the sector. Humanitarian relief needs to reach disaster zones quickly. Fresh produce has a limited shelf life. Pharmaceuticals depend on precise temperatures, secure handling, and reliable delivery.
These are very different shipments, but they have something in common: their value depends on getting the logistics right.
The global economy remains unpredictable, and nobody in freight forwarding can afford to underestimate the risks ahead. But rising air cargo demand shows that trade is continuing to move through that uncertainty.
Forwarders are helping make that possible, while the next generation of cargo is giving them new opportunities to show just how much value they can add.
