CARGOCONNECT-JUNE2026 - Flipbook - Page 41
Geopolitical disruptions are forcing airlines
to redesign networks using flexible routing and
diversified partnerships.
systems, real-time visibility, predictive
analytics, automation, and ecosystemwide collaboration are enabling airlines
and logistics stakeholders to anticipate
risks earlier, respond faster, and minimise
cascading disruptions across networks. In
many ways, resilience and e昀케ciency are no
longer competing priorities, but increasingly
converging capabilities shaping the next
phase of global cargo operations.
Vijayant Vikram Malik, Area Manager– Cargo (Indian Subcontinent), Etihad
Cargo, believes the industry is undergoing a
broader structural transition from e昀케ciencyled operations to resilience-driven cargo
strategies. According to Malik, airlines
are increasingly diversifying networks
through multi-hub deployment models,
agile route planning, and strategic partnerships designed to mitigate disruption risks
across volatile markets. Simultaneously,
regionalised supply chains are steadily
increasing demand for shorter and more
frequent trade lanes, gradually strengthening
the role of markets such as India within
emerging intra-regional cargo ecosystems.
To maintain both 昀氀exibility and continuity,
he says carriers are also adopting more
adaptive capacity strategies, including
昀氀eet optimisation, passenger-to-freighter
conversions, and collaborative network
arrangements that allow them to respond
faster to shifting demand patterns and
geopolitical uncertainty. In many ways, the
emphasis is no longer purely on network
scale, but on how e昀昀ectively that network
can absorb disruption without compromising
reliability, Malik concurs.
Within this evolving framework, Abu
Dhabi is increasingly positioning itself as
a strategic connector linking the Indian
Subcontinent with Europe, Africa, and the
Americas. Malik points out how, through
Etihad Cargo’s expanding network strategy,
the hub is leveraging both geographic advantage and operational reliability to support
increasingly time-sensitive and high-value
cargo 昀氀ows. He further apprises that the
export mix itself is undergoing a signi昀椀cant
transformation, with perishables, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and semiconductors
steadily accounting for a larger share of
cargo movement. Consequently, airlines like
Etihad are increasingly aligning specialised
products, handling capabilities, and capacity
planning to ensure these high-yield shipments remain as insulated as possible from
operational disruptions.
The changing nature of cargo deployment is also compelling airlines to reassess
