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Middle East conflict resulted in 39% drop in air cargo capacity from Asia to the Middle East to Europe corridor, says Aevean
March 6th 2026
Aevean, the consulting firm for the aviation and logistics industry, published data showing the second largest global air trade corridor, Asia-Middle East/South Asia-Europe, is down 39% in air cargo capacity, even as direct capacity between China and Europe increased by 26%. Read More » The decline on this route pulled global capacity 21% below pre-Lunar New Year levels, the company added. Capacity to/from the Middle East & South Asia region is down 60%, while direct capacity between Asia and Europe has declined 11%.
The airspace closures over the Middle East region do not simply mean commercial flight disruptions but a wider impact on international air freight capacity and prices, global logistics service provider Dimerco warned. The Taiwan-headquartered company warned of delays and surcharges as airlines take longer routes to avoid affected airspace, with Asia–Europe lanes adding about 1-3 hours of flight time. These extended routings increase fuel requirements and may reduce available cargo payload capacity on long-haul aircraft. The airlines need to take into account higher fuel prices and war risk surcharges. Dimerco also points out that industry observers warn that aircraft repositioning challenges and crew displacement may continue to affect global schedules beyond the Middle East. The disruption represents a network-wide capacity constraint, rather than isolated flight delays, the company concluded in its outlook.
According to Freightos’ air index, as of March 5, 2026, rates from Southeast Asia to Europe have risen more than 6% to $3.82/kg since February 27, with South Asia rates up 3% to Europe and 5% to the United States.
