• Freighter capacity growth is shifting across global airports, with Istanbul leading gains in March 2026, followed by Shanghai and Hanoi, according to data from Rotate.
• The ranking highlights how airlines are adjusting networks in response to geopolitical disruption, boosting secondary hubs such as Baku and Muscat.
• At the same time, established cargo gateways like Leipzig and Liège continue to play a key role in stabilising global airfreight flows.

Global freighter capacity is being redistributed across both emerging gateways and established hubs, according to new data from Rotate.

The latest analysis ranks the top 10 airports worldwide by outbound freighter capacity growth between March 2026 and March 2025. Istanbul Airport leads by a significant margin, adding more than 23,000 tonnes of capacity. It is followed by Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Noi Bai International Airport, highlighting continued strength across major Asian cargo markets.

Further down the ranking, Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Muscat International Airport and Leipzig/Halle Airport post notable gains, while Miami International Airport, Liège Airport, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport and Mariscal Sucre International Airport complete the top 10. Quito records growth of approximately 7,000 tonnes.

Part of this shift reflects broader geopolitical and operational pressures, particularly developments affecting the Middle East. Airports such as Baku and Muscat have emerged more prominently as airlines adjust routings and redeploy capacity in response to changing airspace availability and regional dynamics.

Istanbul Airport’s leading position underlines its strategic geographic advantage at the intersection of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, enabling it to capture flows as carriers reconfigure networks.

Despite the rise of alternative gateways, traditional cargo hubs continue to play a central role in maintaining network stability. Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Leipzig/Halle Airport and Liège Airport remain key nodes for absorbing and redistributing freighter capacity.

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