The air cargo industry emerged from 2025 transformed by rising e-commerce demand, uneven belly freight recovery, infrastructure strain and heightened theft concerns, forcing carriers and handlers to rethink operations, reports London's Air Cargo Week.

Industry sentiment at Air Cargo Americas in Miami was clear: 2025 was not just volatile but transformational. Capacity distortions, security challenges and the relentless rise of e-commerce reshaped operations, leaving the sector more adaptive, digitised and regionally interconnected heading into 2026.

Passenger travel strengthened but belly freight recovery lagged, with Russian airspace restrictions continuing to weigh on trans-Pacific operations. Carriers serving Asia-Americas and Asia-LATAM routes absorbed demand spikes at short notice, underscoring structural distortions.

Amazon Air's 98.9 per cent on-time performance was cited as a benchmark, with executives noting customer expectations for convenience are compounding. Rising demand for late cut-offs, rapid uplift and tighter supply chain integration is redefining e-commerce baselines.

Infrastructure friction also surfaced, with Alliance Ground International highlighting delays of six to eight weeks to badge new staff at some airports. While digitisation is advancing, uneven practices persist, and Latin America continues to face high inland transport costs and outdated customs procedures.

Supply chains in the Americas were rewired, with Brazil, Chile and Colombia evolving into major e-commerce markets. Mexico remained central, while near-sourcing gained traction. New freighter links from Asia to Sao Paulo, Santiago and Bogota diversified flows away from US transshipment.

Freight theft re-emerged as a major concern, particularly in Mexico, Brazil and parts of the US. Organised groups used fake checkpoints to hijack cargo, prompting carriers to expand AI monitoring, harden storage facilities and rely more on bonded trucking.

Partnerships were identified as the new infrastructure, with carriers deepening ties with handlers, tech firms and forwarders to meet demand and compliance challenges. Executives warned 2026 will bring policy risks, USMCA review uncertainty and evolving Asia-LATAM demand, but optimism prevailed that volatility can be turned into opportunity.