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Air Cargo.

Just as passenger aircraft can transport people to distant continents within a few hours, air cargo enables reliable and fast exchange of goods over thousands of kilometers. Air cargo offers crucial system advantages over other modes of transport.

Air Cargo is the Backbone of the German Export Economy

All over the world, air cargo is a growing market. The transportation of goods by plane is a logistical prerequisite for the continued growth of global online commerce. This market, along with the industry’s further globalization of production chains, depends on fast and reliable air transport routes.

The high speed of air cargo ensures short shipping times – goods handed over before the end of the day often reach their recipient anywhere in the world by the next day. Its high reliability enables secure logistics chains, minimizing the risk of loss or damage.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the aviation industry proved that it could meet major challenges like no other mode of transport. Despite temporary global border closures, it ensured the supply of urgently needed medicines, protective equipment, and vaccines while maintaining global production chains.

Air cargo is not only transported on dedicated cargo planes: around half of all air cargo is carried by passenger planes in the lower deck as so-called belly freight. This allows smaller shipments to reach almost any destination in the world within just a few hours.

The volume of goods handled in Germany’s trade with countries outside the European Union grew by 54 percent from 2000 to 2022, reaching 21 million tons, equivalent to an annual growth rate of 20 percent. In total, about 51 million tons of air cargo were handled at German airports in 2022.

The Value of Air Cargo

Air cargo is of great importance to Germany’s economy – the third-largest trading economy in the world. The goods exported by air reflect the strengths of German industry: sectors such as mechanical engineering and the chemical and pharmaceutical industries rely on air transport. Electrical and electronic devices account for the largest share of air cargo imports and exports at German hubs, with values reaching around 40 billion euros each.

According to Eurostat, the European statistical office, cargo and passenger planes transported goods worth 324.9 billion euros in Germany’s foreign trade to and from overseas in 2022. This represents 10.4 percent of Germany’s total exports and imports, measured by the value of goods.

With an average value of 152,807 euros per ton (an increase of 81 percent since 2000), air cargo transports goods of higher value than any other mode of transport in trade with non-EU countries. In comparison, trucks handled goods worth 6,525 euros per ton in 2022, sea freight reached a value of 2,493 euros per ton, and rail transport averaged 2,090 euros per ton.

The top five origin and destination countries for Germany’s air cargo outside the EU since 2010 have been China, the USA, India, Japan, and South Korea. The share of these five key trading partners in total tonnage has increased from 52 percent in 2000 to 64 percent in 2022.

In some cases, the true value of air cargo exceeds the price of the shipped item by many times. A much-needed spare part from a manufacturer on another continent may only cost 100 euros. However, overnight air cargo delivery can prevent a potential production shutdown, saving millions of euros in losses.

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Dirk Helf Dirk Helf Head of Economics and Infrastructure +49 30 520077-145
Alexander Klay Alexander Klay Press Spokesperson +49 30 520077-165