Gulf air cargo gains pace with higher capacity

Air freight capacity has increased across the Middle East with major airlines running at stronger levels, freighter demand moving above pre-crisis volumes, and Asia–Europe routes adding more space. Emirates is operating close to 90% capacity, Qatar Airways around 75%, while Gulf Air and Etihad have also lifted operations. Road and multimodal freight continue to move steadily, though port congestion and cost differences remain on some routes, said Tobias Maier, CEO DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa.

The increase in air capacity is giving freight forwarders more flexibility to shift urgent and high-value cargo faster. With more freighters in the air and better network coverage, shippers can find space more easily compared to earlier months, especially for time-sensitive shipments.

The added capacity on Asia–Europe lanes is also helping ease pressure in regional hubs, allowing cargo to be rerouted instead of waiting for limited space. This is improving flow across key trade corridors and reducing delays for some sectors.

Road freight continues to act as a stable option for regional movement, even though delays still appear at certain ports and cost levels vary by lane. Multimodal options are being used more to balance speed and cost.