A shift toward larger freighters and new, more efficient airplanes will help keep air cargo transport affordable. Sustained growth of world trade and global GDP will drive a 5.8 percent average annual increase in air cargo traffic, consistent with past trends. New air trade routes will reach out to under-served places.
Business Demand
The global economy demands rapid and reliable business-to-business exchange. Air cargo transport makes it possible. Manufacturers depend on air freight services for efficient just-in-time inventory management. Air freighters enable the most economical sourcing of components and assemblies. In many areas of the world, ground infrastructure is lacking. Here, air transport sustains vital export markets and allows transportation of even basic commodities.
The tonne-kilometer cost and range advantages of large freighters will enable air carriers to meet demand on high-growth trade lanes, particularly links to Asia. As world air cargo traffic triples over the next 20 years, the number of freighters in the world fleet will double. Replacement airplanes will generally be larger, increasing the fleet share of large freighters from 26 percent to 35 percent by 2027.
Speed = Value
Air transport sustains many developing world economies by making it possible to ship perishable products such as fresh flowers, fruit, and live animals to distant markets. Reliable, regularly scheduled air freight flights make pharmaceuticals, life-saving blood and tissue products, and emergency equipment available and affordable. Prompt delivery actually adds to the value of a variety of products, including fashion items and leading-edge consumer electronics.
