Freighter access splits air cargo fortunes as rates climb

· Logistics

Access to freighter capacity is shaping divergent results in air cargo as rates climb. IAG Cargo, which dropped its freighter operations more than a decade ago, lost traffic following cancelled services, while asset-heavy DHL reported double-digit volume growth. Rising rates do not necessarily signal a late peak-season surge, according to the report. The contrast highlights how ownership of freighter aircraft has become a competitive advantage when capacity is tight. Carriers without their own freighters depend on available belly space and third-party capacity, leaving them exposed when services are cancelled. That split matters as the industry heads into peak season, with pricing strength concentrated among operators that control their own lift rather than those that must source it in a constrained market.

Why it matters：Owning freighter capacity is becoming the dividing line in air cargo performance, a structural shift that affects how shippers secure space and how forwarders price peak-season contracts.

Key points

  • IAG Cargo shed its freighter operations more than a decade ago and lost traffic after cancellations.
  • DHL reported double-digit volume growth.
  • Rising rates may not signal a late peak-season surge.

Sources (original reporting)

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