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IATA Releases 2027 Cargo and Ground Operations Manuals

7 September 2026

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released the updated 2027 editions of key industry manuals for cargo and ground operations, which incorporate major changes and revisions to align with evolving global standards.

Highlights of revisions include:

Dangerous Good Regulations (DGR)

• Instructions to improve clarity on DGR packaging requirements
• Restrictions and requirements for spare batteries and power banks
• Requirements for lithium battery-powered mobility aids including new operator obligations for devices exceeding 300Wh
• Updates to State and Operator Variations, including new variations from 17 states

Battery Shipping Regulations (BSR)

• Introduction of provisions for hybrid batteries containing both lithium-ion and sodium-ion cells
• Revisions to packing instructions, particularly related to sodium-ion and prototype batteries
• Clarification on exclusions from the 4-cell/2-battery limit for certain battery shipments
• New requirement for battery marks to be displayed on the same package surface as other applicable hazard labels

Live Animals Regulations (LAR)

• Additions of specific pathogen-free laboratory animals to species listings
• Standardized terminology and metric measurement across container requirements
• Updated aircraft cargo compartment cleaning and disinfection procedures
• Availability of a Portuguese version following Brazil’s adoption of LAR

Airport Handling Manual (AHM)

• New guidance for biometric handling in contactless travel, covering touchpoint processes and privacy/ethical considerations
• Advanced provisions for autonomous ground service equipment activities near aircraft

Digital Tools

Enhanced digital tools—which will increasingly leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI)—are linking IATA’s manuals more efficiently to the industry processes that they support, an important advancement as aviation continues its transition to more connected, automated and data-driven operations. This also helps embed IATA standards into decision making and live operational environments.

This includes:

• LAR Verify, automated compliance verification tool for live animal shipments
• e-Battery Shipping Regulations (e-BSR) introduces new Interactive Classification Scenarios
• DG Digital, a module of DG Autocheck, to create and manage Shipper’s Declarations for Dangerous Goods (DGD)
• DGR includes enhancements to the digital version, improving navigation and access to dangerous goods information
• Digital Load Verification (DLV) to verify aircraft loading activities, reducing loading errors by more than 80% and loading-related delays by up to 30%

“Our 2027 manual revisions reflect advancements in technology, regulation, and customer needs. As our manuals are used in a more digitally connected environment, we are focusing on creating tools that integrate them into the critical processes and activities that underpin cargo and ground operations. This is a major step toward advancing safer, more efficient airline operations, and is soon to be super-charged by the power of AI,” said Frederic Leger, IATA’s Senior Vice President of Products and Services.

By Megan Ramsay | 1 September 2026

Figures from WorldACD Market Data for 17 August to 23 August suggest that China-Europe air cargo traffic is beginning to stabilise after several weeks of decline, following the 1 July introduction of European Union import duty rules for low-value imports, including e-commerce.

During week 34, chargeable weight from mainland China and Hong Kong to Europe crept up by 1% week on week – the first such increase since early June, WorldACD noted.

The data provider said: “Although it’s relatively early days since the 1 July ending of EU ‘de minimis’ exemptions on low-value imports, the WoW [week-on-week] uptick in tonnages from China and Hong Kong to Europe could signal a bottoming out of that downward trend and a potential stabilisation of volumes at a new lower level, supported by rebounding post-summer demand.”

However, compared to week 34 of 2025 volumes are substantially down: by 8% on mainland China–Europe routes and by 33% for Hong Kong–Europe tonnages.

More generally for Asia Pacific–Europe traffic, volumes rose by 3% week on week. A massive 88% increase on traffic ex Japan was the main factor in this development (volumes in the preceding week were hit by the country’s Obon festival as well as flight cancellations out of Tokyo owing to tropical storm Chan-Hom).

Elsewhere, Asia Pacific–US volumes were “flat” week on week, WorldACD said, a 33% rise in tonnages ex Japan offset by declines in other origin markets (China down 3% and Hong Kong down 2%, for instance).

Year-on-year comparisons for traffic to the US are tricky given the many changes to US import tariffs and exemptions. Still, tonnages ex China were up 11%, and from Hong Kong up 9 percent, compared to the same week of 2025.

As for total Asia Pacific origin volumes, WorldACD said: “Total Asia Pacific origin volumes in week 34 were up, WoW, by +7 percent, after falling by around -5 percent the previous week, taking them back slightly above their levels of week 33, and +4 percent higher than the equivalent week last year. More than half of that +7 percent WoW increase is explained by the recovery ex-Japan.”

Volumes from the Middle East and South Asia origins rose by 4% week on week and 7% year on year, despite the continuing disruptions to capacity and traffic in parts of that region due to the US–Iran confrontation.

 

Week-on-week increases from India to Europe (up 5 percent) and Dubai/Bangladesh (up 6 percent) to Europe contrasted with a drop from Dubai to the US (down 15%).

Out of Europe and the US, volumes were down week on week by 4 percent and 2 percent respectively though – “limiting global WoW growth to +2 percent in week 34, and the YoY [year-on-year] worldwide increase to +5 percent” according to WorldACD.

Similar to week 32, average global air cargo spot rates rose by 1% week on week. For China–Europe shipments spot rates have picked up for three weeks in a row as carriers have adjusted capacity to match new levels of demand in the wake of the EU de minimis change.

“Among the key origin markets, spot rates from key high-tech export hubs such as South Korea (+25%, YoY), Taiwan (+25%), and many parts of southeast Asia, were well above the regional average, including Vietnam (+22%, YoY), Thailand (+32%), Malaysia (+42%),” WorldACD observed.

Rates ex Asia Pacific to the US have held steady of late, as has global airfreight capacity –which edged up by 1% week on week in week 34.

The ongoing Israel conflict has impacted capacity out of the Middle East, South Asia and the Gulf, while Europe and North America have seen increases in capacity since that war began.

By Rebecca Jeffrey | 25 August 2026

air cargo inside freighter

China-to-Europe freighter capacity is down nearly 30% from June due to a reduction in e-commerce imports into Europe, shows new data from Rotate.

E-commerce imports into Europe dropped 24% in July compared to June. This followed the EU’s introduction on 1 July of a €3 customs duty on low-value parcels imported from outside the EU.

As a result, direct China-Europe freighter capacity immediately fell 10% compared to June levels.

Now, China-to-Europe freighter capacity is consistently 28% below June levels and shows “no clear sign of recovery”, said Rotate.

Alongside this, according to the latest data from TAC Index, rates on the busiest lanes out of China to Europe have become firmer, even as volumes have been under pressure due to the EU customs duty.

Overall utilisation down

While there has been some rerouting to the transpacific, overall global freighter utilisation is down as most lost capacity has not been redeployed elsewhere, said Rotate.

In the case of converted Boeing 747-400Fs, which typically fly ad hoc, utilisation is down by 13.8%.

Freighter capacity declines are concentrated in e-commerce gateways. In Europe, Madrid is down 78%, Budapest is down 58% and Liege is down 35%.

Meanwhile, in China, freighter capacity at Ürümqi Tianshan International Airport is down 72%, and 28% at Hong Kong.

Despite how the e-commerce market has changed to date, e-commerce shipping may recover within 12 months, suggests Rotate.

This has been the case in the US, which ended de minimis treatment for shipments from China and Hong Kong on 2 May 2025 and globally on 29 August 2025, and Brazil, which ended de minimis on 1 August 2024.

APAC-Europe air cargo volumes drop 15% year on year

Asia-Europe airfreight rates firm up

260818-Rotate-E-commerce capacity update China-Europe map

E-commerce forwarder to launch China-US freighter operation

By Damian Brett | 6 August 2026

Source Chicago Rockford

E-commerce specialist freight forwarder Rich Sale International will launch freighter flights between China and the US through a new partnership with Atlas Air.

The flights will operate between Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport (TNA) and Chicago Rockford (RFD) in the US.

The Chinese firm’s new operation will begin with eight charter flights in August before becoming a twice-weekly scheduled operation in September.

Ten lowboy trailers, arranged by Gateway Sales and Solutions, supported the unloading and onward transportation of the cargo to destinations across the Midwest.

The addition of the new cargo operation was welcomed by the Illinois airport.

“China to North America is one of the largest lanes in air cargo, and e-commerce is its backbone right now,” said Zack Oakley, executive director, RFD.

“We are creating the premier operation for bringing e-commerce into the US, continually developing our solutions and supporting them with a growing number of flights from China and Southeast Asia.

“Rockford’s capabilities are particularly well-suited to e-commerce, providing an efficient, reliable, and flexible operation without the congestion or restrictions found at many larger passenger hubs, with aircraft moving from wheels down to engines off in as little as five minutes.”

Shanghai-based Rich Sale is a freight-forwarding and logistics company specialising in services for the cross-border e-commerce sector.

“E-commerce requires fast and adaptable cargo operations, which cannot always be found at passenger hubs where cargo often plays second fiddle,” added Jacky Wu, president, Rich Sale.

“When we assessed the best entry point for e-commerce cargo into the US, Rockford stood out for offering the dedicated, cargo-focused operation we need to serve our customers effectively.”

E-commerce volumes between the US and China have been recovering this year after the US removed its de minimis exemption for low-value parcels last year.

The new service win follows two recent additions by DSV at the US airport.

In July, the Danish forwarder launched a scheduled weekly freighter service between RFD and Incheon International Airport in South Korea.

And in June, DSV launched a new weekly freighter service from Luxembourg to RFD.

Dear All,

In 2024, IATA and Edgar Dunn & Company estimated that airlines processed approximately USD 977 billion in payments, at a cost of USD 22.2 billion. At this scale, payment choices need to be managed deliberately. And that starts with recognizing that there is no single one-size-fits-all solution.

In this blog Nick Careen, Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety & Security, highlights airlines cannot view payments solely as a cost. Passengers are using an increasingly diverse range of payment methods. While physical cards still dominate, options such as instant payment and digital wallets are growing rapidly. If an airline does not offer a passenger’s preferred payment method, it risks losing the sale.

That is why IATA has developed Airline Payment Framework – Management Foundation to help management teams look at payment options.

2 June 2026         No. 23

Montreal – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced enhanced cooperation at ICAO Aviation Climate Week today to advance transparency and integrity in tracking progress and accelerating the development and deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).

Close collaboration between industry and states, underpinned by robust systems and high-quality data, will aim to enable transparent and credible tracking of aviation cleaner energies and their contribution towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050, in alignment with the respective IATA and ICAO ambitions and commitments.

Both organizations agreed to explore how SAF registries and the data they collect can support the implementation of the ICAO Long-Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) Monitoring and Reporting (LMR) methodology, as well as the consideration of fuel accounting systems for international aviation.

“Credible tracking is necessary to know the emissions reductions delivered by SAF. The data collected by the CADO SAF Registry, among others, has the potential to meet this need. By working with ICAO to strengthen how progress on SAF use is measured and reported, we can accelerate deployment, build trust across stakeholders, and put aviation on track for net zero by 2050. This will set a great example for individual states to work with industry to make the most of the SAF data that is being accumulated,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

“Achieving ICAO’s vision of net zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050 will require unprecedented levels of transparency and cooperation across the entire sector. This agreement will support the strengthening of ICAO’s leadership as we support States and industry in their scaling up of sustainable aviation fuels and other aviation cleaner energies. By improving our global monitoring capabilities and visibility into SAF production, distribution and use, we can support the integrity of global fuel accounting systems and ensure that climate investments are recognized consistently and transparently under ICAO frameworks.” said Juan Carlos Salazar, ICAO Secretary General.

 

Air cargo demand continues its strong start to the year in February

By Damian Brett | 6 March 2026

Airfreight on the tarmac

Air cargo demand continued its busy start to the year in February, while the Middle East crisis could triple airfreight rates on affected lanes if the conflict continues.

The latest numbers from air cargo data provider Xeneta show that air cargo demand increased by 6% year on year in February, following on from a 7% increase in January.

Capacity for the month increased by the lower amount of 4% year on year and as a result of demand growing faster than supply, the dynamic load factor was up two percentage points to 62%.

The average spot freight rate was up 5% year on year to $2.58 per kg – the first monthly increase since May 2025.

Xeneta said the increase in demand and rates reflected the timing of the Lunar New Year in Asia and the continued depreciation of the US dollar compared to a year ago.

Most industry commentators have been predicting a moderation in demand growth in 2026, with the general consensus pointing towards an increase of around 2-3% for the year as a whole.

Trade lane performance

Two trade lanes saw spot rates increase by double-digit percentage levels in February: Europe-North America spot rates in February were up 21% year on year, while Northeast Asia-North America rates improved by 10% due to demand for semiconductors.

“Tariff impacts, however, weakened China to US air cargo demand, while China to Europe volumes remained relatively stable, but neither corridor repeated the typical pre-holiday cargo rush at the start of 2025,” Xeneta said.

Airfreight demand rises in December but growth expected to slow in 2026

“This hints at what’s likely to happen in 2026. Some Asia-based airlines with strong exposure to e-commerce remain optimistic about growth prospects in 2026, while others are taking a more cautious, wait-and-see stance.”

Middle East impact

The military strikes from Iran, the US and Israel resulted in a 12% of global air cargo capacity from the market, Xeneta said.

Meanwhile, major regional hubs – such as Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi – temporarily suspended flight operations amid multiple airspace restrictions, causing an immediate impact on the Asia–Europe air cargo corridor.

Prices on affected trade lanes could triple if the conflict is protracted, Xeneta warned.

“The revenue impact of disrupted flight timetables is just one of the concerns for airlines. Jet fuel, a major airline cost component, could also rise materially if crude prices continue to climb,” Xeneta said.

“If the conflict is brief and flights to/from the Middle East resume quickly, markets will normalise faster and reduce concerns of a longer-term spike in oil prices, but protracted disruption lasting weeks is likely to mean prices on affected markets could double or even triple.”

Air cargo tackles backlogs as Middle East conflict capacity crunch continues

“A further escalation of the conflict could trigger a global energy shock and stagflationary pressures reminiscent of the 1970s, with sharply higher oil prices and a significant correction in equity markets, both unwelcome developments in relation to trade volumes, shipping costs, and retail prices.”

Xeneta said that airlines are likely to deploy more direct Asia-Europe flights or conduct technical stops in central Asia, depending on traffic rights, airspace availability and operational constraints.

With container shipping now reverting to routing around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the Middle East, air cargo could be boosted once airlines can resume normal operations.

Looking to the rest of the year, Niall van de Wouw, Xeneta’s chief airfreight officer, said: “If we only had February’s data to focus on, we would say the start of the year has been encouraging for the air cargo market. Now, the stakes are raised.

“Past reactions to previous macro-events show that the global airfreight industry is highly skilled in finding and creating solutions.

“But it will come at the price of higher logistical costs for the owner of the goods. But I am sure they will temporarily have no issue with paying such additional fees as long as they can serve their customers on time

“In the coming weeks, we might see (again) the vulnerability and strength of the airfreight industry in the spotlight.”

 

By Rebecca Jeffrey | 2 March 2026

Cargo ground handling operations

Image: © Jaromir Chalabala/ Shutterstock

Conflict in the Middle East has put a stop to flights in and out of the region, with major operators declaring that air cargo operations are currently disrupted.

This is a developing story. Air Cargo News will make updates as more information becomes available.

Middle East carriers including Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad have suspended flights.

Qatar Airways said on its website: “Qatar Airways Cargo flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Qatar Airways Cargo will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.”

Emirates SkyCargo said: “Due to the current uncertain situation and evolving airspace restrictions, our flights are suspended until 1500hrs UAE time on Tuesday, 3 March, and we are placing temporary restrictions on the booking and acceptance of all new shipments on our flights for the next 24 hours.”

Meanwhile, Etihad stated: “Regional airspace closures continue to impact Etihad Airways’ operations, and all flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 14:00 UAE time on Tuesday 3 March.”

Oman Air Cargo added that it is experiencing some operational disruption, but general cargo operations continue as normal, though perishables transportation has been temporarily restricted.

“Services to Europe and the Asia Pacific region continue to operate as scheduled, with rerouting implemented where required and minor delays in some instances.”

Airlines headquartered outside the Middle East have also suspended operations. Lufthansa Cargo said that “Lufthansa Cargo, together with the Lufthansa Group, will suspend flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam, and Tehran until March 8”.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cargo’s latest service update on 28 February indicated that some operations in the region were still taking place.

The carrier said: “Some of our flights to/from the following destinations have been cancelled: Bahrain, Dammam and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria and United Arab Emirates.”

IAG Cargo said that while flights between London and Jeddah and Riyadh “continue to operate as scheduled”, other flight routes have been put on hold.

“Flights between London and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv are suspended until 4th March 2026,” said the carrier in a service update.

It added: “Flights between London and Larnaca are suspended on 2nd March 2026. Flights between Madrid and Doha are suspended until 4th March 2026. Flights between Madrid and Tel Aviv are suspended until 10th March 2026.”

Rotate said its data shows global air cargo capacity is down 18% as a result of flights being suspended or rerouted.

In a LinkedIn post on 1 March, Tim van Leeuwen, vice president and head of consulting at Rotate said: “Having reported yesterday that around 12% of global air cargo capacity would be directly impacted by Middle East airspace closures, 24 hours later Rotate Live Capacity data shows global capacity down -18% in the last 24hrs compared to last week, driven by:

“1 Middle East carriers (Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad, etc.) suspending all flights – until at least Monday noon

“2 Other carriers no longer serving the Gulf, either, with no immediate redeployment options.

“3 Carriers re-routing freighters to different tech stops, or skipping them altogether (with accompanying payload restrictions). This explains the +22% capacity increase on Asia-Europe caused by airlines either switching tech stops to Central Asia, or flying direct instead.”

Further, Aevean’s research showed extensive airspace closures has resulted in air cargo capacity on the Asia-Middle East-Europe corridor decreasing by more than 40% week-on-week on some routes.

Data compared the weekend of 21-22 February to the weekend of 28 February-1 March.

Overall capacity, including Asia-Middle East-Europe and excluding intra-Asia and Africa-Europe, is down 26% in ACTK terms.

Direct Asia-Europe capacity was up 13-14%.

Comparing 21 February to 28 February, Aevean’s data showed China/Hong Kong–Europe capacity was up 34%, while indirect China/Hong Kong-Europe capacity via the Gulf was down 75%.

Several non-Gulf airports have also had strong indirect (enroute tech stop) capacity increases. Capacity is up 211% at Almaty International (ALA), 51% at Tbilisi International (TBS) and 23% at Istanbul (IST). Heydar Aliyev International in Baku (GYD) is down 69% due to its proximity to the Iranian border.

Fuel prices have jumped as well. The conflict has resulted in forced shutdowns of oil and gas facilities across the Middle East.

20% of global jet fuel flows through Strait of Hormuz off Saudi Arabia and the premium for near-term jet fuel deliveries doubled over the weekend, noted Aevean.

Operational cancellations extend to ocean shipping too, according to advisories published by major container shipping companies.

MSC has suspended all cargo bookings to the Middle East.

CMA CGM said in an advisory on 28 February that all ships in the Gulf area should proceed to shelter and passage through the Suez Canal has been suspended until further notice, and vessels will be rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope.

It further stated on 1 March that all reefer bookings to a number of countries would be suspended with immediate effect.

Maersk also said on 1 March that it had paused Trans Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and all sailings on the ME11 (Middle East-India to Mediterranean) and MECL (Middle East-India to East Coast US) services would be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope.

 

US forwarders welcome Supreme Court ruling on tariffs

By Damian Brett | 23 February 2026

Containers, shipping, trade

Image: Shutterstock © Strikernia

US airfreight forwarders have welcomed Friday’s Supreme Court’s decision to scrap the sweeping tariffs introduced by president Donald Trump last year – although he later announced a new 15% tariff.

On Friday, the US Supreme Court overturned the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

This includes global reciprocal tariffs, as well as tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada to stop the flow of fentanyl. Other tariffs are not affected by the ruling.

The airfreight forwarder association said the decision “should bring a degree of clarity for US businesses that rely on international trade”, although the president later announced plans to introduce a global tariff of 15%.

“Our members have seen firsthand how tariff measures negatively impact shipping volumes, pricing, and supply chain planning, and greater stability in trade policy is critical for the movement of goods,” the Airforwarders Association (AfA) said in a statement.

“While this ruling may reduce some immediate cost pressures, uncertainty around future trade actions continues to complicate long-term planning for importers, exporters, and the logistics providers that support them.”

The AfA called for clarity on how any tariff refunds will be processed, including the timeline, administrative requirements, and eligibility criteria, to ensure businesses can plan with confidence and reduce unnecessary costs.

Meanwhile, forwarder CH Robinson said “significant unknowns remain” following the court ruling.

“The Court did not address remedies or refunds, leaving those issues to be decided by the administration, Congress or litigation,” the forwarder said.

The forwarder recommended that companies should continue to build resilience into their supply chains.

“Importers should explore cost-reduction strategies such as diversifying sourcing, using free trade zones, and optimising transportation and warehousing.”

 

Following the Supreme Court ruling, an executive order was issued bringing in a new temporary 10% tariff for all goods – except those with exemptions – under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act that is due to come into force tomorrow. The tariffs can last up to 150 days.

Over the weekend, Trump had said the rate would be increased to 15% under section 122.

The suspension of the de minimis exemption will continue, according to the executive order.

Customs and Border Protection has told companies this morning that it would stop collecting the IEEPA tariffs at 12.01am on Tuesday.

US trade negotiators have said that countries that have struck trade deals with the US will not have their tariff rate increased, although the Supreme Court ruled that tariffs imposed in those deals were illegal.

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the 2026 World Cargo Symposium (WCS) will focus on “Advancing Air Cargo in a Dynamic World”. Under this theme, the symposium will take stock of changing global trade conditions as it examines regulatory priorities, developments in special cargo, and progress on digitalization in specialized streams. WCS will be held in Lima, Peru from 10 to 12 March hosted by LATAM Cargo. It is the first time the event will be held in South America.

“Tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty have reshaped global trade and supply chains. The 3.4% growth pattern in air cargo demand in 2025 was strongly influenced by these developments and we can expect more of the same for 2026. This year’s WCS will focus on further strengthening air cargo’s ability to respond quickly and effectively as trade lanes shift and the value of speed and reliability across the supply chain grows,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

“Air cargo plays a vital role in connecting South America to global markets and supporting the region’s trade and economic development. Hosting the World Cargo Symposium in South America for the first time is a recognition of the region’s growing importance in global air cargo. LATAM Cargo is proud to support a forum that brings the industry together to advance regulatory priorities, digitalization, and the evolving demands of special cargo in a dynamic global environment. We look forward to connecting with our partners and stakeholders in Lima to drive meaningful progress across the industry,” said Andres Bianchi, Chief Executive Officer, LATAM Cargo.

Speakers & Sessions

Walsh and Bianchi will be speaking at the event along with:

• Teresa Mera Gómez, Minister of Trade & Tourism for Peru
• Roberto Alvo, Chief Executive Officer, LATAM Airlines Group
• Ali Faddis, Director Global Aviation Operations, Amazon Global Air Technology & Infrastructure
• Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo
• Julia Seiermann, IATA’s Head of Industry Analysis

In addition to its main conference streams (digitalization, regulation, and special cargo), WCS will feature three spotlight sessions exploring practical pathways for the supply chain to: improve sustainability practices, accelerate the adoption of new technologies and processes, and enhance operational efficiency and resilience.