2026 Air Freight Outlook

Your blueprint for navigating the year ahead.

As 2025 wraps up, air cargo demand is on track for a modest 3–4% growth, even after a year defined by tariffs, the end of the U.S. de-minimis threshold, and volatile global trade dynamics. But the world now heads into 2026 with a cooling economic engine, shifting demand patterns, and a deeply fragmented geopolitical landscape. Air freight will feel these forces more sharply than any other mode.

The Xeneta Air Outlook 2026 distills the year ahead into 7 essential themes that every shipper, forwarder, and carrier must understand — whether you're planning tenders, managing contracts, or preparing contingency strategies for Q1.

Inside, we uncover:

• E-Commerce’s Next Chapter in a Post-U.S. De-Minimis Threshold Market
• Ocean-to-Air Mode Shift
• Rewritten Trade Lanes – with Vietnam, India, Mexico, and Eastern Europe Rising as New Production Nodes
• The AI-Driven Demand Boom
• Industry Dynamics in Flux

Start the Year Ahead of the Market

2026 will reward organizations that plan on real market intelligence. Download the Xeneta Air Outlook 2026 to see what’s coming and how the world’s most resilient supply chains are preparing