• e-commerce now drives over 20 percent of global air cargo volumes, reshaping operational demands across the sector.
• IATA’s Andre Majeres highlights the shift toward speed, fragmentation, and complexity, with special cargo—perishables, pharmaceuticals, and personalised medicine—rising sharply.
• Pharma shipments are now 90 percent temperature-controlled, and cool goods grew 62 percent year-on-year. 

e-commerce now accounts for over one-fifth of global air cargo volumes, according to IATA, signalling a deep structural shift in how goods move across borders.

“20 percent of air cargo, we can say, is coming from an e-commerce transaction,” said Andre Majeres, Head of E-Commerce and Cargo Operations at IATA.

With more than 2.7 billion digital shoppers and over 80 percent of cross-border e-commerce moving by air, speed is still the primary driver. But the B2C model brings fragmentation, irregular demand, and tighter delivery windows.

This shift is particularly visible in emerging markets. While China and the US dominate online retail, Latin America and Southeast Asia are seeing double-digit e-commerce growth, creating a new wave of mid-tier cargo flows.

Cold chains, live animals and the rise of special cargo

Air cargo’s growth isn’t just about volume—it’s about complexity. “Efficiency is the minimum. Excellence is what we strive for,” Majeres told delegates, highlighting the growing dominance of special cargo: perishables, pharmaceuticals, and temperature-sensitive goods.

In 2025, fruit and vegetables made up the largest share of perishables flown—28 percent—followed by fish (23 percent), general perishables (19 percent), flowers (12 percent), and meat (9 percent). The standout stat was cool goods, which although still just 8 percent of total perishables, grew by 62 percent year-on-year.

Pharma cargo has also undergone a transformation. In 2019, just 59 percent of pharmaceutical shipments were temperature-controlled. By 2025, that share had jumped to 90 percent. “That tells us we are responding to what the industry needs,” Majeres said.

Regulatory alignment is starting to catch up. Brazil became the latest of 46 countries to formally adopt IATA’s Live Animals Regulations (LAR), underscoring a broader move toward harmonised standards across sensitive cargo categories.

Among the most operationally demanding growth segments is personalised medicine—particularly cell and gene therapies. Unlike traditional cargo, these products often involve a single patient, single sample model, with chain-of-identity and 24/7 monitoring requirements.

“We cannot just talk about being in time,” Majeres said. “We have to be just in time.” There is no second we can lose.”

The post e-commerce, perishables and personalised medicine reshape air cargo priorities appeared first on Air Cargo Week.