Swissport has launched its first dedicated perishables centre in the UK at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) with Scan Global Logistics becoming the first customer to operate from the site.
The new facility strengthens the company’s global cool-chain network and supports growing demand for fresh Atlantic salmon.
The 2,694sq m site features temperature-controlled handling areas, operates 24 hours and is designed to handle up to 30,000 tonnes per year. The site also includes a dedicated Border Inspection Post (BIP), enabling immediate airside inspection and clearance of imported goods giving faster release times, reduced dwell periods and helping to protect product integrity.
Swissport will install an automated screening solution in the first quarter of 2026 that allows dense, palletised seafood shipments to be screened without breakdown. Processing fully built units in a single pass, the system reduces handling steps, shortens queue times and allows a more predictable, consistent flow.
Global head of perishables at Scan Global Logistics, Colin Wells, said: “With this technology, we can move perishables through Heathrow more efficiently and with far greater predictability. It improves processing times while maintaining the highest standards of quality and freshness and creates a unique and highly reliable solution for which is a high market demand.”
Scan Global regional chief executive for North Europe, Steen Søgaard, added: “Producers of temperature-sensitive goods depend on predictable capacity and controlled handling, especially as volumes continue to rise. This setup provides a stable platform that supports both daily operations and long-term growth. Swissport’s global cool-chain expertise and operational scale make them a strong partner for the UK market.”
Swissport chief operating officer cargo UK&I, Joe Bellfield, said: “Heathrow is a critical gateway for global seafood flows, and perishables require absolute precision. By bringing our proven cool-chain processes, specialised infrastructure and trained teams to Heathrow Airport, we are strengthening the reliability and predictability that exporters depend on.”
London Heathrow plays a central role in the global seafood supply chain, with an estimated 200,000 tonnes of salmon transiting the airport each year, including Scottish production. As direct uplift from origin becomes increasingly constrained, specialised hub operations with predictable throughput are becoming essential for exporters across Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and the UK, says Swissport.
The Heathrow perishables centre joins Swissport’s global network of cargo hubs for temperature-sensitive and time-critical goods, It operates 117 cargo centres worldwide, handling around 5 million tonnes of freight annually.
Air Charter Service has chartered a Boeing B747 to fly animals from Thailand to their new home at a wildlife rescue center in eastern India. The broker received a call from our client to transport a variety of animals from Bangkok to Ahmedabad, to a sanctuary hosting thousands of similar animals – many rescued from circuses, zoos, or trafficking networks. ACS Singapore chief executive Brendan Toomey, said: “There was a wide range of different animals that needed to fly on the charter, including zebras, sloths, wallabies, hawks, pacas and raccoons, all of which needed to be monitored by onboard vets throughout the flight. “
The total weight of the animals, their enclosures, their food and the vets came to 50 tons, making a B747 the best choice for the flight.
ACS worked closely with the Thai Civil Aviation Association and the client to ensure all correct export documents were provided, in order to get the permits in a timely manner, with the two week notice period. Toomey, added: “The representative from our Singapore office on the ground helped coordinate the airport warehouse, a dedicated area and necessary equipment in order to load the animals safely and as swiftly as possible. He then travelled on the charter to help manage the offloading process in India, before the animals’ onward journey to their new home.”
The UK’s main cargo gateway, London Heathrow Airport has approved investment to begin work on the third runway planning application, but the move also the struggle involved in getting large infrastructure projects off the ground, says Logistics UK chief executive, Ben Fletcher.
He said: “A third runway at Heathrow will help address the significant shortage of air cargo capacity in the South East, and it is a significant step that funding for the planning application has been agreed. Heathrow Airport is the UK’s biggest port in terms of value, handling over £200 billion worth of cargo every year, and increasing freight capacity should boost the economy by making international connections for UK businesses even easier.
“However, we must acknowledge the tremendous expense and risk involved in building large scale infrastructure projects in the UK. The planning application alone is expected to cost hundreds of millions of pounds, and there is still significant red tape to navigate, including CAA approvals and planning reforms, before any ground is broken.”
Fletcher added: “The third runway project will be a good test of the government’s infrastructure strategy. It will become clear whether there really is a long-term strategic view of infrastructure and a genuine commitment to end the stop-start processes that have held back progress in the past.”
Maastricht Aachen Airport handled 41,636 tonnes of cargo and 7,549 aircraft movements, of which 1,737 were cargo flights, according to its annual results for 2025, published on 14 January.
In 2024, the southern Netherlands gateway handled just 28,448 tonnes of cargo after a dip in cargo volumes following a EUR 35 million runway renovation in 2023.
At the end of 2024, Maastricht Aachen Airport announced its strategy to focus on expanding air freight at the Dutch cargo hub, with a target of 200,000 tonnes by 2030. In 2025 it appointed its first cargo sales executive.
Head of commercial development, Dean Boljuncic, said: “The strong growth in cargo volume last year is down to MST’s continued investment in cargo handling facilities at the airport, particularly in the second half of 2025. We have invested in optimising our handling processes and improving our facilities in the past 12 months, including redeveloping MST’s AnimalPort and partnering with FlowerWatch to modernise perishable cargo operations.”
He added: “Both cargo and passengers are important for MST; however, we expect to see higher and faster returns from our cargo operations, and our strategic focus in this area is clearly paying off.”
Maastricht Aachen Airport recently applied for a new Airport License, which included a proposed runway extension to 2,750 meters which would allow cargo aircraft to depart with heavier loads and to reach more distant destinations.
FedEx has expanded its parcel pickup and drop-off network in Poland with an alliance with the Żabka store chain. Customers now have access to over 12,000 new locations to send and receive shipments, bringing the number of FedEx service points in Poland to over 16,000.
Polish consumers are particularly active internet users, says the carrier, with 78% of whom have shopped online at least once in a lifetime and the 23 million Polish consumers who use e-shop services demand delivery experiences that align with their daily routines.
FedEx vice president operations, Nordics and Eastern Europe, Mariusz Mik, says: “Our expanded pickup and drop-off network in Poland gives consumers more choices, convenience, and control over their shipments, while enabling our partners to build scalable, customer-centric logistics solutions.”
The Żabka stores can handle shipments up to 50 × 40 × 30 cm and 20 kg. In the initial phase, they offer domestic services, but international options are planned. The network also supports returns.
FedEx also offers pickup and drop-off services at over 4,000 additional locations, including Kolporter, Epaka, Furgonetka, Delikatesy Centrum, ABC, Groszek, Duży Ben, Stokrotka Express and Shell outlets.
Pointpack S.A., a provider of IT solutions and service infrastructure for the retail and courier sectors, managed the technical implementation of Żabka’s integration into the FedEx network.
Korean Air has commissioned German-based Lödige Industries to modernise its cargo terminal at New York JFK Airport.
Originally opened in December 2000, the terminal is one of the largest cargo facilities in the eastern US, with a total warehouse floor area of 17,065 m² and an annual handling capacity of 200,000 tons.
The work includes advanced automated systems with two fully automated Elevating Transfer Vehicles (ETVs), enabling more efficient and higher-capacity ULD handling. Fixed transfer vehicles will be removed and replaced with Cargo Pallet Movers and a total of 14 workstations will also be replaced with modern equipment.
Enhancements to Cool Chain facilities encompass a new refrigerated warehouse as well as upgrades to the existing facilities. In the four current temperature-controlled warehouse areas, temperature controllers, roller conveyors, and shutters, among other components.
Korean Air Cargo regional manager, Junho Choi, said: “JFK is our gateway for cargo services along the East Coast and a key hub in our growing global network. By modernizing the terminal with state-of-the-art automation technology, we are ensuring long-term efficiency, higher safety standards, and increased sustainability of our operations.”
Oman Air Cargo is to launch a new passenger and cargo route from Muscat to Kigali, Rwanda, route, operated by B-737 aircraft from June 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. It is expected to support the movement of fresh produce, pharmaceuticals, general cargo and express shipments originating in East Africa. and onward connections are available in Muscat to the Middle East, Europe and the Indian subcontinent.
Global air cargo demand finished a tumultuous 2025 on a high with volumes up +6% year-on-year in December, but flatlining e-commerce shipments ex-China will create concern for airlines and forwarders reliant on consumers’ online buying sprees, say industry analysts Xeneta.
Better-than-expected volumes over the last quarter of the year helped air cargo demand record +4% growth in chargeable weight year-on-year for 2025, reflecting many shippers’ willingness to shift away from other modes to the speed and reliability of air cargo during times of disruption and economic uncertainty.
2025 had “something for everyone,” said Xeneta chief airfreight officer, Niall van de Wouw, with service providers benefitting from higher volumes than expected earlier in the year, and shippers gaining from lower rates in the second half of the year.
Having predicted up to +4% market demand growth for 2025, Xeneta sees a more cautious outlook for 2026, forecasting a slightly more modest +2-3% rise in volumes this year.
Price to pay in 2026?
After +11% growth in 2024 and market resilience seen in 2025, van de Wouw says there might be “a price to pay” for air cargo volumes in the coming year.
“Everybody had some doom and gloom about 2025 when the US started announcing tariffs, but the uncertainty helped airfreight. The market held up better than many expected as trade patterns shifted – buffeted by the return of Trump tariffs and de minimis bans for e-commerce shipments in the US, and the fading boost from Red Sea-related ocean freight diversions,” van de Wouw said.
“But with many questions remaining over trade, and geopolitical tension adding a further layer of uncertainty, I personally think something has to give in 2026 from a volume perspective – and that means there’s going to be more in it for shippers in terms of lower rates,” he added.
Despite demand growth towards the end of last year, average global airfreight rates have been below their 2024 levels in recent months. This trend continued in December as, once again, demand outpaced the +5% growth in supply. Global airfreight rates fell -4% year-on-year to average USD 2.83 per kg, slightly less pronounced than November’s -5% decline, suggesting the slide may be easing, but not reversing.
Less buoyant signals for e-commerce
What happens next will be heavily influenced by e-commerce, with shippers in China, Europe, and elsewhere facing higher delivery costs.
Van de Wouw said: “One of the tailwinds for air cargo demand growth in 2025 came from investment linked to the development of artificial intelligence solutions. This supported flows of high-value goods and is expected to continue. In contrast, the less buoyant forward-looking signals for e-commerce, particularly Chinese cross-border e-commerce exports, are worrying.”
Chinese customs data shows low-value and e-commerce exports in November rose by just +1% year-on-year, after flatlining in October. Exports to the US represented the brunt of this decline, plunging -52% year-on-year in November after a corresponding -51% fall in October, the steepest declines on record. Prior to the de minimis ban imposed by the US government, China–US e-commerce accounted for roughly 3% of global air cargo volumes.
China–EU e-commerce volumes continued to grow, but less briskly, expanding +29% in November. This is down from the +47% recorded in October.
Policy is now biting from China as well. China’s State Council has introduced new rules on tax information reporting by online platforms. From October 2025, marketplaces such as Amazon, Temu, and eBay must report tax-relevant data on merchants and individual service providers to improve transparency and compliance. Non-compliance can be costly, with exporters facing fines up to CNY 100,000 (about USD 14,000) if they miss the data deadline or report incorrectly. In severe cases, penalties can reach CNY 500,000 (around USD 71,000) and include business suspension pending rectification.
More regulated e-commerce
International cross-border e-commerce will face a more regulated landscape across many fronts. The US and the EU are leading the charge, but countries including Japan and Thailand have also discussed or announced new rules commencing in fiscal 2026. In December, the EU, for example, agreed to impose a fixed customs duty of EUR 3 on small parcels valued below EUR 150 from 1 July 2026, aiming to close loopholes used by low-value shipments – 91% of which originate in China. Consequently, e-commerce volumes are likely to grow at a slower pace in 2026, but still faster than the general airfreight market, as platforms continue to respond to policy changes and shifting trade flows.
“China’s cross-border e-commerce volumes were flat in October and November. If we see a third consecutive month of lower e-commerce growth out of China, that is a big signal – while duties imposed by other countries may present more unwelcome news for the air cargo market going forward.
“Air cargo’s e-commerce volumes are also likely to be impacted by declining consumer purchasing power as they face higher prices for more essential everyday items, making consumers more mindful of how they spend their money,” van de Wouw believes.
Spot rates continue to decline
On the main corridors, December spot rates mostly extended their year-on-year decline. The sharpest fall (-13%) came on the transatlantic westbound lane, from Europe to North America. Demand slipped -2% from a year earlier, a touch faster than the -1% reduction in capacity. Yet month-on-month the story was different. With reduced passenger belly capacity, spot rates jumped +17%, the quickest increase among the major corridors, but still below the same period of 2024.
Southeast Asia-related lanes posted the next largest year-on-year drops. Spot rates from the region to Europe and North America fell by -11% and -6% respectively year-on-year as capacity expanded. Even so, rates rose strongly month-on-month, up +6% to Europe and +13% to North America, outperforming last year’s seasonal pattern (-3% and +3%).
Northeast Asia was steadier. Air spot rates to Europe and North America fell by around -5% year-on-year and rose by approximately +5% month-on-month. Mainland China stood out for its relative balance as spot rates from China to Europe and North America were just -1% below December 2024 levels.
Airlines managed to quickly reallocate freighter capacity away from the US and towards Europe, where demand has been more accommodating. Even so, China’s month-on-month increases were sharper at around +9% into both Europe and North America, hinting at greater supply/demand imbalance.
Forwarders take short-term approach
Contracting behaviour shifted, too, as 2025 came to a close. Airlines and freight forwarders remain focused on the short term: close to half of forwarders’ volumes were bought in the spot market valid for up to a month, a habit that has lingered since the pandemic. Shippers showed a notable change in approach to cargo capacity in the fourth quarter. One-year contracts accounted for only 24% of new deals in Q4 2025, down 20 percentage points from the previous quarter, as buyers seemed unwilling to lock in rates during peak season and bet instead on further price erosion.
Still, compared with Q4 2024, the share of one-year contracts was 8 percentage points higher. If demand is set to lag supply in 2026, the question is whether longer-term contracts regain ground – back towards Q1 2025’s 38 – or whether shippers increasingly mimic the industry’s prevailing short-termism.
Fundamentals point downwards
The volatile nature of trade and world affairs, van de Wouw said, continues to mean that any sign of crisis this year may yet again help airfreight, but, until then, he sees the market fundamentals pointing downwards in 2026.
“When I look at the biggest risks this year, right now I would say it’s more likely we will see something that will put a stopper on the level of airfreight growth we have seen in the last two years. Overall, the market has been relatively stable, but we are entering a phase when shippers will be looking for better rates and demand may deteriorate in the first quarter of the year.”
AP Moller-Maersk has appointed Ditlev Blicher as the new regional president for North America.
He assumes the role after most recently serving as the company’s regional president for Asia Pacific since 2023 and, prior to joining Maersk, he was APA chief executive at DB Schenker.
Charles van der Steene, who has served as Regional President for North America since January 2024, will become the managing director for Maersk’s India, Middle East and African region, where he previously served as Damco’s regional managing director from 2016-2019 before the company merged with Maersk in 2019.
Royal Air Maroc Cargo has launched a freighter route between Casablanca and Dakar in Senegal, West Africa. It is operated by a Boeing 767 freighter offering 45 tons of capacity weekly, on Friday.
RAM’s freighter network already includes Brussels (three flights per week), Istanbul (two), Bamako (two), and Ouagadougou (two) and it also offers daily bellyhold cargo capacity on its Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 737 aircraft through its Casablanca hub.
Recent network expansions include São Paulo, Toronto, and Beijing.
