Just a few years ago the thought of AI in logistics sounded like sci-fi. Fast forward to now and artificial intelligence has quickly become the central nervous system for countless airfreight operations. From Seattle to São Paulo, algorithms are making split-second decisions about everything from pricing to routing, fundamentally changing how freight moves in the region and across the globe.

However, this digital renaissance hasn’t unfolded uniformly. The United States, being the tech juggernaut that it is, leaped ahead with massive AI deployments. Canada has taken a slightly more measured and systematic approach, and Latin America has overcome infrastructure hurdles and made some strategic moves. Together, they’re paving the runway for the future of airfreight across the Americas and beyond.

United States leading the way

US carriers moved past the experimentation phase with AI awhile ago, they’re all in. American Airlines Cargo partnered with CargoAi to expand AI-powered dynamic digital quoting and booking across multiple markets. Delta has implemented predictive maintenance systems that use AI to forecast component failures before they happen, reducing delays and cancellations. United has deployed AI tools to optimise operations including crew scheduling and real-time decision-making.

Some carriers are also exploring systems that recommend rerouting under adverse weather, forecast load imbalances, and flag ground-handling bottlenecks. AI-driven load optimisation, already established in shipping, is being adapted to aviation to maximise space and improve response to disruption. 

Other research projects like AI-CARGO demonstrate how machine learning can predict booking discrepancies and recommend smarter reallocation strategies.

Canada’s thoughtful approach

While Canada handles smaller cargo volumes than its southern neighbour, its approach to AI emphasises discipline and accountability. Air Canada has invested heavily in data science, developing tools for predictive maintenance, crew scheduling, and operational forecasting that optimise flight schedules and improve maintenance planning. Their partnership with Dataiku has helped the carrier democratise AI processes across teams, ensuring consistency and governance in model deployment.

What sets Canada apart is its regulatory environment. In 2022 the country introduced the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act alongside strong privacy protections that emphasise transparency and accountability. In 2024, a British Columbia tribunal held Air Canada liable for misinformation its AI chatbot provided, confirming that companies remain responsible for their AI tools’ outputss.

Latin America’s strategic bet

While Latin America lacks the digital infrastructure of North America at scale, the region has made targeted investments where AI delivers outsized returns. Where Canada emphasises governance and accountability, Latin American carriers are focusing on immediate operational challenges, particularly weather volatility.

Aeroméxico has partnered with IBM to deploy its Environmental Intelligence Suite across more than 100 routes, providing climate risk analysis and real-time alerting for takeoffs, landings, routing, and ground operations. In a region vulnerable to inclement weather, AI systems that adapt in real time can mean the difference between maintaining schedule integrity and suffering costly delays. In short, Latin American carriers are deploying AI where environmental unpredictability creates urgent operational needs.

The challenge is real and the numbers back it up

Venture capital investment in Latin America reached US$4 billion in 2023, down from earlier peaks but still flowing into tech and startups according to BBVA Spark. Yet significant barriers remain:

• Many operators struggle with limited real-time data histories and fragmented digital systems

• Cross-border interoperability is weak with regulatory, customs, and infrastructure barriers preventing seamless data sharing and operations  

• Capital for AI pilots is scarce, especially for smaller logistics firms competing against more established players

But where adoption is happening, it’s as innovative as anywhere. cargo.one, for example, has expanded into Mexico and Brazil, offering AI-powered booking and pricing systems that connect regional forwarders to global cargo capacity networks.

Digital ripple effects

AI adoption in air cargo is creating ripple effects across the Americas. When US carriers scale AI across their networks, efficiencies extend to connected airports and partner airlines. Canadian operators align with these systems to ensure interoperability, while Latin American carriers advance their own AI pilots in route optimisation, booking platforms, and weather risk analysis.

Aeroméxico partnered with IBM to deploy its Environmental Intelligence Suite across over 100 routes, using AI to anticipate weather disruptions and adjust planning in real time.  According to IATA, LATAM Cargo is pairing digital tools with its CEIV Pharma recertification to ensure more precise monitoring and handling of sensitive shipments. 

Caribbean hubs are also seeing benefits as feeder networks gain efficiency and predictability from AI-optimised routes.

Enablers, guardrails, and the path forward

For AI to scale sustainably across the Americas, four key enablers must be addressed:

• Data maturity and quality: AI models live or die on clean, consistent data trails. Latin American carriers must invest in digitisation and historical archives.

• Standards and interoperability: Shared APIs, data schemas, and governance protocols are essential to scale cross-border AI systems. 

• Trust, transparency and explainability: Especially in regulated markets, AI decisions must be explainable and auditable. 

• Investment & talent: AI pilots require capital and expertise. Partnerships, public funds, and ecosystem programmess can help close gaps, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The bottom line

AI in air cargo is no longer on the horizon, it’s here, and the question is how quickly can you build the data infrastructure, partnerships, and talent needed to compete in an AI-driven market? The Americas are a testbed for the future of freight, where efficiency, resilience, and customer trust will be determined by algorithms as much as aircraft.

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