According to the latest figures released by Armstrong & Associates, the world’s top 25 air freight forwarders handled a combined 16.74 million metric tons of cargo in 2024. This marks a 9.4% year-on-year increase, highlighting a solid recovery and growth in the global air cargo market.
Who Leads the Market?
The ranking of the top five air freight forwarders remains largely consistent, with industry giants maintaining strong positions:
- Kuehne+Nagel – Continues to lead the global air freight market with its comprehensive network and investment in digital logistics solutions.
- DHL – Benefits from a balanced portfolio across express, freight forwarding, and supply chain management.
- DSV – Grows through strategic acquisitions and its integrated air & sea logistics offerings.
- DB Schenker – Focuses on sustainable and digital air freight solutions.
- Sinotrans (China) – Represents China’s growing influence in the global logistics sector.
What’s Driving the Growth?
Several key factors contributed to the 9.4% growth in global air freight volumes last year:
E-commerce boom – Continued demand for faster delivery times globally.
Resilient supply chains – Many businesses turned to air freight to avoid bottlenecks in ocean shipping.
Recovery of global trade – A rebound in industrial production and trade flows in key regions.
High-value and time-sensitive goods – Sectors such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, and automotive parts continued to rely heavily on air transport.
Challenges Ahead
While the figures are promising, the industry still faces headwinds, including:
- Volatile fuel prices
- Geopolitical uncertainties
- Pressure to decarbonize operations
- Capacity management, especially with passenger flights recovering
These factors push forwarders to become more agile, invest in digital tools, and develop sustainable logistics solutions.
Conclusion
The 2024 data from Armstrong & Associates underlines a strong recovery and sustained demand for air freight services worldwide. Market leaders like Kuehne+Nagel, DHL, and DSV continue to shape the industry through innovation and scale, while players such as Sinotrans highlight the growing global impact of Chinese logistics providers.
As trade and technology evolve, staying adaptive and customer-focused remains the key to success in the competitive air freight sector.