• Global air cargo competitiveness is increasingly determined by agility, as static terminal models give way to dynamic, data-driven logistics ecosystems capable of adapting to volatile demand, regulatory complexity, and supply chain disruption.
• Infrastructure expansion alone is insufficient, with true efficiency now dependent on policy alignment, digital interoperability, automation, and real-time data that reduce friction across customs, handling, and airline operations.
• Airports, airlines, handlers, and shippers must operate as integrated logistics engines where predictability, compliance confidence, and multimodal connectivity define success in an era of constant uncertainty.

Air cargo infrastructure is entering a decisive moment. As global supply chains fragment, reroute and digitalise at speed, the competitiveness of entire economies is being shaped by the agility of their cargo gateways. Traditional terminal models, built around static processes and linear flows are proving increasingly inadequate in a world where demand fluctuates unpredictably, regulatory pressures multiply and shippers expect instant visibility from origin to destination.

What is emerging instead is a new operating philosophy as airports, airlines and handlers must become dynamic, data-driven logistics ecosystems designed for resilience, rapid throughput and seamless multimodal integration.

Across the industry, there is recognition that infrastructure modernisation alone will not deliver competitiveness. What matters now is adaptability where the ability of cargo systems to recalibrate rapidly in response to volume surges, geopolitical disruptions, capacity shifts and regulatory changes.

With air cargo acting as the stabilising force for time-critical flows from pharmaceuticals to high-value electronics, industry leaders argue that agility is no longer a desirable feature but a structural necessity for global trade.

Redefining efficiency with standards and policy alignment

Tej Contractor, Vice President at International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA), argued that agility must begin with governance rather than infrastructure. In his view, the global logistics system continues to be hindered by divergent customs processes, inconsistent documentation standards and uneven digital maturity across markets. “True agility requires more than infrastructure—it requires alignment,” he noted.

Contractor emphasised that customs digitisation, interoperable documentation frameworks and blockchain-backed trade records are essential to reduce administrative friction as the accumulated delays that quietly erode competitiveness. Contractor’s perspective underscores a broader trend as he quoted “physical expansion of cargo facilities must be matched by policy synchronisation if airports and corridors are to handle future volumes efficiently.”

Airlines Vs. scalable cargo networks

From the airline perspective, agility is becoming a defining factor in network planning and operational strategy. Gagan Gupta, Head of Cargo Operations at Air India, observed that shifting demand patterns require carriers to rethink how uplift capacity, transfer points and ground processes are managed. “We are expanding in a world where demand signals shift rapidly,” he said.

Gupta emphasised that next-generation terminals must be capable of handling a diverse cargo mix through automated sorting, variable-temperature zones and streamlined landside–airside movements. Gupta further noted that “global shippers now prioritise predictable ground performance as much as flight schedules, pushing carriers to integrate forecasting tools and collaborative planning mechanisms with airports.” In a competitive landscape, the effectiveness of cargo infrastructure increasingly shapes an airline’s value proposition.

The handler’s mandate

Nikolai Schaffner, Global Head of Commercial, Cargo at Swissport, argued that ground handlers are under heightened pressure to deliver speed and accuracy while navigating tighter regulatory oversight. “We are expected to deliver faster, with higher accuracy, under tighter regulatory scrutiny,” he said.

Schaffner described how smart terminals, equipped with digital acceptance systems, automated queues and real-time capacity dashboards can enable handlers to optimise workforce deployment, reduce dwell time and enhance predictability for airlines and shippers. Schaffner highlighted that “data-driven decision-making must become the foundation of ground operations, with automation deployed strategically to minimise errors and accelerate throughput.”

As global hubs compete on reliability metrics, handlers increasingly influence the overall competitiveness of airports.

Airports as integrated logistics engines, not transit points

Stephan Horn, Senior Manager for Strategy and Business Development at Frankfurt Airport, explained that airports must evolve beyond their historical role as cargo gateways into fully integrated logistics engines. “Connectivity is no longer defined only by flights but by the quality of the ecosystem surrounding them,” Horn noted.

Horn further highlighted the value of free trade zones, multimodal corridors, smart warehousing and automated clearance systems in positioning an airport as a global hub as he stressed that “sustainability factors with energy-efficient facilities, low-emission ground fleets, circular waste systems are increasingly influencing investment and regulatory frameworks.”

In an environment where hubs compete globally for transhipment flows, the sophistication of the surrounding logistics ecosystem is now as important as slot availability or route networks.

The shipper’s perspective

Representing a sector where speed and precision define supply chain viability, Sai Mungara, Global Head of Supply Chain at Cipla, offered a shipper’s view of evolving expectations. “Speed-to-market is essential, but so is the assurance that every regulatory and quality requirement has been met,” he said.

For pharmaceuticals and other high-value cargo categories, digital visibility and automated compliance tools are no longer optional. Mungara stressed that “shippers measure agility not simply by transit times, but by how consistently cargo maintains validated conditions at each handover.” The inability of an airport or handler to provide real-time traceability, risk flags or temperature documentation, he argued, can directly undermine supply chain viability.

Mungara’s reflections echo a shift across many industries as agility is increasingly equated with compliance confidence, not operational speed alone.

A new architecture for global air cargo competitiveness

Fletcher Samuel, Assistant General Manager, Cargo Business at Bangalore International Airport, observed that agility is now the defining metric for the next generation of cargo gateways. He noted that “India, poised to become a major manufacturing and life-sciences hub, must invest in infrastructure that can support time-sensitive, regulation-heavy cargo flows at global scale.”

The clear conclusion expressed was that, the future of air cargo infrastructure will depend on the integration of physical expansion, digital synchronisation and policy alignment. Predictability will emerge from shared systems; resilience will be built through flexible terminal layouts and diversified corridors; and competitiveness will hinge on transparent, data-rich processes capable of ensuring seamless movement across borders.

In a world where uncertainty is the new constant, the capacity to move goods swiftly, transparently and intelligently is becoming the ultimate differentiator. Airports, airlines and handlers that embrace this transformation will shape the next era of global trade, where agility is not merely an operational asset but the currency of international competitiveness.