Traditional air freight hubs in Europe are losing market share to smaller or more freighter-focused airports. Megan Ramsay investigates whether there’s a structural shift in air freight flows
In the twelve months ended July 2025, European airports handled about 19 million tonnes of international air cargo, with total volumes growing by around 3% in the first half of this year, although growth is currently coming mainly from smaller, specialist cargo airports – often favoured by e-commerce shippers – outside Europe’s top 10.
The top five cargo airports (Frankfurt, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, London Heathrow, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Leipzig) accounted for about 40% of Europe’s total air cargo volumes. Liège, Luxembourg, Cologne, Madrid and Milan Malpensa made up another 26%. But their combined market share is down by around 3 percentage points compared with prior to the Covid pandemic.
Although the top 10 European airports still account for the bulk of the continent’s international cargo volumes, Trade and Transport Group (T&T) managing director Frederic Horst observes: “Airport data is showing how a lot of air cargo growth in Europe is flying past Germany, the Netherlands and France. The top 10 airports have seen only about 1.3% growth in international air cargo traffic this year, while everyone else has grown at a combined rate of 7.5%.
“Some of the biggest growth rates have been seen in Budapest, Prague and Warsaw. Both Liège (LGG), Brussels, and East Midlands have also seen strong growth.”
To a large extent, this reflects the continuing rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce air cargo volumes flown to Europe from China and other parts of Asia, which has been bolstered further by the new restrictions imposed by the US on imports from China and of low-value air cargo goods in general. The big e-commerce players have, as a result, sought alternative markets for their goods, with Europe among the beneficiaries of China’s cross-border e-commerce air exports.
Schiphol example
On the other hand, Schiphol is also “turning its back on cargo”, Horst says, with the Dutch hub representing the most extreme example of the environmental or capacity challenges facing some major European airports. Freighters are being pushed out, with slot restrictions and other hurdles driving them to find alternative gateways. Some are leaving Schiphol for Maastricht (mostly carrying flowers from Africa). Restrictions on traffic rights in Germany and France, too, are resulting in a move away from some of the traditional big hubs.
Government-imposed charges and elevated air traffic control fees continue to pose competitive challenges for all German airports, for example, and some carriers have consequently shifted operations to countries with more favourable regulatory conditions. Europe is by no means a level playing field in this regard.
The top 10 European airports’ share of air freight traffic, at the end of July 2025, stood at 67% – a definite, if not dramatic, downward shift from the 70% share they held in 2019. Horst observes: “The top 10 airports only [grew] their combined traffic volumes by 1.3%, but if LGG hadn’t grown by 11% this number would have been close to zero.”
Popular alternative
Those strong growth figures for LGG are for the 12 months to July 2025, and the airport’s cargo traffic has grown at an even faster year-on-year average growth rate so far this calendar year: In the first nine months of 2025, cargo throughput at Liège is up by 14% over the equivalent period in 2024. And the year-on-year (YoY) growth has accelerated as the year has progressed, reaching +23%, YoY, in the third quarter, driven by strong e-commerce import growth.
As traditional airports focus more on their passenger business and on appeasing the local population’s concerns over noise and environmental matters, Liège is benefiting.
“This is a gift for us,” says Frédéric Brun, head of commercial cargo and logistics at Liège Airport. “Airlines are coming to us now that weren’t naturally coming to us before. We’re their first second-best option – not their natural first choice, but they come to us because of slots, curfews and so on.
“Flowers are the biggest vertical where we’re gaining market share from Schiphol; about 40% of the flowers in Alsmeer come through Liège now. Brussels is also benefiting, with 12 LATAM flights having moved there from Amsterdam.”
Liège is almost entirely dedicated to freighter movements. Leipzig is a DHL hub; Luxembourg has Cargolux. Liège’s traffic is almost 100% freighters; Maastricht is about 50:50; Cologne about 30% freighters; and Hahn about 25%.
From an airport perspective, most make money from ancillary revenues such as retail or parking, which are derived from passenger traffic – hence their focus on that side of the business.
A pure cargo airport has fewer revenue opportunities. And smaller airports may lack the critical mass to keep up the cargo growth they have seen of late. Carriers may serve them for a while and then move elsewhere depending on demand and other factors, Horst notes.
Historically, carriers tend to conclude that it may also be better to fly to an airport like Frankfurt, which has a big forwarder network and onward distribution network, whereas Italian airports, for instance, are comparatively disconnected from the rest of Europe, Horst adds.
Hungry underdogs
But the “underdogs” want more traffic, and are investing to attract it. The UK’s Glasgow Prestwick is one example.
“Right now, operators need airports that can offer capacity on demand and turn aircraft around quickly, and that’s why we have committed to strategic investment,” says Nico Le Roux, business development director at Prestwick.
“Over the past year, we’ve invested £2.3 million (US$3.1 million) in new equipment and committed another £1 million to enhance temperature control and screening. That’s enabled turnaround times of under two hours for 90-tonne freighters, helping carriers maintain schedule integrity and reduce ground time.”
Prestwick’s infrastructure investments, from loaders and cold storage to CEIV and GDP accreditation programmes, are about ensuring Prestwick keeps pace with global standards and is seen as a trusted partner for all types of cargo – from temperature-sensitive shipments to outsized industrial cargo.
Alongside investments in infrastructure, equipment and people, Le Roux points out: “Across the air freight industry, digitalisation is becoming the foundation of competitiveness. Airlines and logistics providers expect real-time visibility, data-driven decision-making, and seamless coordination between partners.
“At Prestwick, we’re embracing that shift through integrated digital systems that improve tracking, ground-handling efficiency, and overall service reliability.”
Congestion counts
The big gateways like Frankfurt, Schiphol and Paris-Charles de Gaulle face space constraints that limit their ability to accept higher cargo volumes.
Among the airports vying for volumes, Liège has capacity to grow, while Cologne is more limited; flying goods to Leipzig more makes sense when the final destination is in eastern parts of Europe, making it less than ideal as an alternative to airports like Paris-Charles de Gaulle; Luxembourg has curfews; and so on.
Fundamentally, though, Le Roux believes that congestion at Europe’s major hub airports is a challenge for freight operators, as passenger flights take priority and cargo capacity becomes increasingly limited, particularly in the UK. This is driving a clear shift towards regional airports, and he expects that trend will only accelerate.
“Dedicated freighter operators can no longer secure slots at major hubs like Heathrow, where only carriers with pre-existing rights can operate. As a result, regional gateways are becoming strategic essentials rather than alternatives,” he explains.
Prestwick, for example, has seen volumes rise by over 150%, year on year.
Ruediger Franke, CEO at Frankfurt-Hahn airport, agrees, seeing the growth at smaller, more cargo-focused airports as “an indication that major airports have reached their growth limits due to capacity bottlenecks” – whereas Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, for instance, has a cargo capacity of at least 400,000 tonnes per year. That’s almost four times its current throughput.
Business-friendly airports
One driving force behind air freight growth in general, which is translating into higher volumes at some of the smaller regional hubs, is the increasing demand for e-commerce – which requires fast, resilient and flexible logistics networks that can react quickly to spikes in volumes.
E-commerce exports from China have risen by about 40%, year on year, on routes to Asia; volumes are down significantly into the US since the end of de minimis. Products from Temu, Shein and other Chinese retailers are still moving, but the flows are different.
Last year, 4.6 billion e-commerce parcels were imported into the EU. That amounts to 12 million per day and is almost double the number recorded in 2023. This year, e-commerce in Europe is again showing robust growth. For the January–July period, China-to-EU air exports were up 9% on 2024, for instance.
Upward trajectory
Forecasts predict this segment will expand by a further 7% in the coming year. Consequently, the share of e-commerce shipments in air freight is set to continue its upward trajectory. Global growth in the e-commerce sector is also expected to persist, and estimates indicate that e-commerce will soon account for a third of global air freight volumes.
In Europe, Horst says: “Chinese e-commerce platforms have chosen airports in countries that are business friendly to this type of traffic,” and that means bypassing the big hubs in France and Germany, for instance.
Prestwick has attracted eight new weekly freighter flights this year, from China Southern Airlines and Air China Cargo.
Le Roux observes: “E-commerce is the most dynamic force in air cargo today, reshaping networks and demanding faster, more direct routes between Asia and Europe.
“At Prestwick, we’ve responded by becoming a specialist hub. Royal Mail and EVRi now process up to 90 tonnes per flight and around 800 tonnes weekly through Prestwick, supported by daily freighter services from China. It’s a clear example of how regional airports can deliver agility and reliability where traditional hubs face constraints.”
EMA growth
The UK’s East Midlands Airport (EMA) has reported double-digit percentage growth this year, benefitting from Chinese e-commerce cargo volumes seeking alternatives destinations due to the changes in the US. In the 6 months from May to October, tonnages handled reached almost 240,000 tonnes, a rise of around 11%, YoY.
Since the UK airport launched its new cargo development plans in May, it has welcomed six new cargo airlines: Central Airlines, Atlas Air, Ethiopian Cargo, Saudia Cargo, Etihad Cargo and SF Express. Other recent improvements include Swissport and FedEx moving into larger premises to meet rising demand. UK cargo airline One Air last year launched charter services at EMA after moving its UK operations from Heathrow to EMA, and the carrier has subsequently expanded its fleet.
And in November, One Air announced a partnership with China-headquartered SF Express, launching four-times weekly B747-400BDSF freighter services connecting the central China hub of Ezhou with EMA, as part of SF’s strategic planning in Europe and network expansion worldwide.
Other smaller airports that have been gaining traction on the back of e-commerce growth include Budapest (BUD), Prague, and Warsaw, with BUD recording growth of around 50% this year. Cologne, being more of an express hub, is benefitting less from this type of traffic, since the value of e-commerce shipments tends to be too low to warrant express carriers’ high fees.
Franke says e-commerce is a particularly strong driver in countries like Hungary and Belgium. “There, the framework conditions are better, specifically due to easier Customs clearance,” he notes. “The operational processes in these countries are simpler compared to those in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.”
However: “For several months now, Frankfurt-Hahn, together with its Customs authorities and local partners, has also been able to process e-commerce shipments quickly and efficiently,” he adds, highlighting the development of specialised processes at the airport.
No slowdown
At Liège (LGG), meanwhile, e-commerce is “our bread and butter”, says Brun, accounting for around 25% of LGG’s total air cargo traffic. Shipments from Asia comprise about 30% of total volumes to the airport, with China accounting for most of that – and a total of around 25% of LGG’s total air cargo volumes. There’s no danger of a slowdown, in Brun’s view.
“Goods are cheap from China so why would people buy them in Europe?” he asks, particularly with regard to fast-moving consumer goods. “E-commerce is not driven by Chinese shippers: it’s driven by clicks in Europe. Temu has been the most downloaded app for eight months in a row. And e-commerce is agile because it doesn’t rely on one kind of cargo. Demand drives volumes; it can shift from product to product, but there’s a huge range of products.”
Handlers are also responding to the continuing rise of e-commerce. Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), for instance, is set to expand its e-commerce and freight handling operations at Frankfurt Airport by securing additional warehouse space from January 2026 onward.
“E-commerce has emerged as a key growth driver at Frankfurt, with approximately 5 million shipments per month, primarily originating from Asia,” says Denis de Farias Duarte, vice president cargo development at airport operator Fraport. “While general cargo, pharmaceuticals and special cargo remain our core strengths, we continue to support this dynamic segment.
“The high shipment volumes, however, present challenges for Customs clearance. In cooperation with Customs authorities, Fraport has introduced a standardised, digital process to ensure efficient and compliant clearance, enabling smooth and transparent processing of e-commerce at Frankfurt.”
Right now, e-commerce remains a big driver for Europe’s airports. Although it’s hard to separate e-commerce-driven air freight from other types of cargo, Horst estimates that about 15% of all global international air cargo traffic last year was e-commerce, with express making up about 19% of volumes, and the rest being general cargo, mail, and specialist products. Others estimate that the proportion of e-commerce is even higher, at something between 20% and 25%.
Risky business
However, in Horst’s view, relying too much on what he believes is an unsustainable e-commerce model is risky, and at some point “e-commerce has got to give”.
He outlines: “E-commerce supply chains need to change to the proposition of entry via sea and then local distribution. Most cross-border e-commerce platforms appear to be losing money on international business; are they financially sustainable? Amazon just turned a corner, but it’s a bit different – a lot of its business is actually domestic. Its domestic business and cloud computing business are actually very profitable, so it can afford to cross subsidise.
“Airports hitching their wagons to the e-commerce horse are in trouble.”
Horst believes the future depends greatly on how cross-border e-commerce develops.
Other factors for the future include rising demand for sea freight, and a widening gap between sea freight and air cargo rates. Issues with shipping via the Suez Canal, for instance, are continuing to drive air freight and sea-air traffic, and airports in the Middle East are particularly well positioned for that. But the situation could well be temporary.
Changing trade relations, especially between the US and China, add another layer of complexity to the outlook.
But Brun is confident that more and more traditional airports will increasingly focus on what brings them revenue – passenger operations and real estate – and that this will drive more cargo to specialist cargo airports like Liège.
Ultimately, though, Horst does not believe there will be a huge exodus away from the big traditional hubs to alternative airports because “there’s not really that much traffic that can move”.
He explains: “Cargo that moves on freighters gets to Europe and goes into the ground distribution network so… there’s no need to fly to the larger airports. Belly cargo, though, tends to go to the big hubs. Big carriers tend to fly freighters to where they fly belly, as they keep their passenger and cargo operations together. So, there’s a limit to the shift.”
For now, at least, air freight volumes remain concentrated at the major hubs. If e-commerce traffic continues to grow at a faster rate than other types of air cargo, the market share of the big metro hubs may continue to edge downwards in favour of specialist freighter airports. Politics may also play a part, and in November EU member states voted to remove the bloc’s €150 ‘de minimis’ customs duty relief threshold from 2028, and to put in place measures as soon as 2026 to begin collecting customs duties on even the lowest-value goods imports. This seems likely to change Europe’s e-commerce air logistics market, although it’s unclear yet to what extent and how quickly that may occur. Those are questions air cargo stakeholders will be seeking to answer in the coming months.
