Air cargo is having a moment. But it's not the moment most people expected.
Kuehne+Nagel just reported a 10% year-on-year jump in airfreight volumes for the third quarter. The headline number looks great. What's underneath it is even more interesting: CEO Stefan Paul estimated the underlying market grew just 3–4%, and attributed 60–70% of K+N's growth to market share gains. In plain English, K+N isn't just riding a rising tide. It's taking business away from other forwarders.
And here's the part that matters for anyone shipping high-value cargo: that growth is coming from hard cargo - semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, AI servers, high-tech components - while low-value e-commerce volumes are falling away sharply.
That's not a small shift. It's a structural change in what the air freight market is actually moving.
The Peak Is Strong - But It's Not the Peak You Remember
Paul told analysts the peak season has "just started," and described it as "definitely strong". Airlines are responding. Qatar Airways Cargo is adding winter freighter services to Copenhagen, Warsaw, Chicago, New York, Atlanta and Dallas. IAG Cargo is expanding belly capacity on Asian lanes, including a new Gatwick–Colombo route and double the Gatwick–Bangkok frequency.
But this is a selective peak. C.H. Robinson's market updates describe technology, semiconductors, AI infrastructure and selected healthcare cargo as the steady demand drivers, while e-commerce remains below last year's levels. In other words: capacity is coming back, but it's chasing a narrower, more specialised slice of demand.
For shippers, that creates a tricky equation. General market capacity might look adequate on paper. But the specific lift you need - the right lane, the right temperature control, the right handling for high-value electronics - is not evenly distributed. And when a forwarder is winning share by focusing on exactly those kinds of shipments, the competition for that space gets real.
What This Means for Your Air Cargo Strategy
K+N's numbers tell a clear story: the forwarders who are growing in this market aren't the ones waiting for the peak to arrive. They're the ones who have built the carrier relationships, the network depth and the operational discipline to capture business when it moves.
That's the environment Xiamen AE Global works in every day. We're a government-licensed forwarder with IATA, FIATA, FMC and NVOCC credentials, and we've been moving air and ocean freight through volatile markets since 2018. When a peak season is defined by hard cargo and tight, lane-specific capacity, the difference between a smooth shipment and a delayed one usually comes down to who your forwarder can actually call.
- We don't just book space - we secure it where it matters. Our network of over 100 overseas agents gives us real-time visibility into carrier capacity and rate movements across key air lanes. When semiconductor or high-tech demand tightens up a specific route, we're already working with our partners to lock in allocation before the crunch bites.
- We handle the complexity that comes with hard cargo. High-value electronics and technology components aren't forgiving. They need the right handling, the right documentation and the right contingency plans when a flight gets delayed or a route gets cut. Our IATA-certified team manages that end-to-end, not just from one airport to another.
- We give you options, not excuses. Ocean, air and rail - we operate across modes. If air capacity on a lane gets stretched, we can model alternatives and present real choices, fast. For many of our clients, that flexibility is what keeps inventory moving when the market narrows.
- Local knowledge, global reach. Based in Xiamen, one of Asia's busiest air cargo hubs, we combine global carrier access with on-the-ground understanding that only comes from over a decade of moving complex freight. We've handled more than 12,000 TEUs in a single year with a 98.6% on-time delivery rate for our SME clients - not because the market was easy, but because we plan for it not being easy.
The Bottom Line
K+N's market share gains are a reminder that in air cargo, growth doesn't happen by accident. It happens when a forwarder has the relationships, the network and the focus to win the business that actually matters.
At Xiamen AE Global, we don't just move boxes. We help our clients compete for space in a market that rewards preparation - and we make sure the peak season is a problem we solve for you, not one you inherit.
Because when the market is selective, your forwarder should be too.
Shipping high-value or time-sensitive air cargo this peak season? Contact Xiamen AE Global today - and let's make sure your cargo has a seat.
