CARGOCONNECT-JUNE2026 - Flipbook - Page 42
COVER STORY
AIR CARGO ASCENDS
what diversi昀椀cation actually means within
an increasingly fragmented operating
environment, speci昀椀es Malik. For years,
network expansion and capacity addition
were widely viewed as the primary tools
for strengthening market presence. However, as airspace volatility and geopolitical
uncertainty continue a昀昀ecting traditional
trade corridors, he says carriers are steadily
shifting focus from expansion-led thinking
towards building 昀氀exibility and resilience
within existing networks.
Anna-Maria Kirchner, Head of Global
Sales, Finnair Cargo, says diversi昀椀cation
today is less about adding more capacity
and more about creating optionality within
current operations. As a belly cargo carrier
operating within structural constraints
such as aircraft con昀椀guration and 昀氀uctuating airspace availability, Finnair Cargo is
increasingly focussing on how and where
capacity is deployed rather than simply
pursuing network expansion.
Kirchner points out that close coordination with freight forwarders, customers,
and operational teams has become far
more critical in today’s disruption-prone
environment. Continuous route evaluations,
pricing recalibrations, and market-level
coordination are allowing airlines to remain
closely aligned with shifting trade realities while responding faster to emerging
operational risks. At the same time, she
mentions, expanding interline partnerships
is enabling carriers to preserve connectivity
and market access even in situations where
direct operations may no longer remain
commercially viable or operationally feasible.
This growing emphasis on adaptability is also reinforcing the importance of
operational planning itself, Kirchner notes
and implies that continuous coordination
with operations control centres and proactive contingency planning for potential
airspace disruptions, particularly across
sensitive regions such as the Middle East,
are increasingly becoming central pillars
of cargo continuity strategies.
In many ways, this re昀氀ects a broader
structural reset underway across global air
cargo. Resilience is no longer being measured
solely through 昀氀eet size or network reach,
but through the ability to sustain reliability,
preserve 昀氀exibility, and maintain service
continuity within an increasingly unpredictable global operating environment. That
same pressure is now cascading beyond
airlines and into airport cargo ecosystems
themselves, where infrastructure planning, capacity deployment, and operational
adaptability are becoming equally critical.
Simone Schwab, Senior Vice President– Aviation and Cargo Development,
Fraport AG, notes that while cargo demand
at Frankfurt Airport continues to remain
strong in 2026, geopolitical volatility is still
signi昀椀cantly in昀氀uencing route dynamics and
capacity planning decisions across global
markets. However, rather than weakening
throughput, Schwab re昀氀ects the volatility
is increasingly testing the adaptability of
major cargo hubs themselves. She points
out that recent declines in Middle East
tra昀케c were rapidly compensated through
increased tonnage on direct Far East and
African routes, underlining how 昀氀exible
cargo ecosystems are increasingly capable of
recalibrating around disruption. Frankfurt’s
extensive connectivity and diversi昀椀ed cargo
structure, she states, have enabled the airport
to respond quickly to shifting market conditions while maintaining stability across key
cargo segments.
Interestingly, while several global hubs
continue grappling with infrastructure and
capacity constraints, Frankfurt currently
does not face major limitations across either
freighter or belly cargo operations. Around
40% of the airport’s cargo continues to move
through belly capacity, making 昀氀uctuations
in passenger tra昀케c an important variable
within the overall cargo equation. Yet,
Schwab notes that Frankfurt’s established
freighter network allows the hub to o昀昀set
temporary reductions in belly cargo availability relatively effectively, reinforcing
operational continuity even during periods
of geopolitical disruption. This balancing
act between dedicated cargo infrastructure
and passenger-linked cargo optimisation
is increasingly becoming central to the
airport’s strategy.
A similarly evolving reality is visible
across Northern Europe as well. Eva Beate
Lande, Director of Cargo at Avinor, says
the industry is no longer moving through
a temporary post-pandemic adjustment
cycle, but rather operating within what has
now become a structurally elevated cargo
demand environment.
As per Lande, at Oslo Airport, the
pace of cargo growth over recent years
India is emerging as a strategic cargo hub for
pharmaceuticals, electronics, semiconductors, and
e-commerce exports.
42 | CARGOCONNECT JUNE 2026
Diversification today
is less about adding
more capacity and
more about creating
optionality within
current operations.
Expanding interline
partnerships is
enabling carriers to
preserve connectivity
and market access.
ANNA-MARIA KIRCHNER
HEAD OF GLOBAL SALES,
FINNAIR CARGO
