Global Air Cargo Market Competition by Company

8 min read

Updated on 11/29/2024

The top five companies in the global air cargo market by revenue are Kuehne+Nagel, DHL Aviation, FedEx Express, UPS Airlines, and Qatar Airways.

Kuehne+Nagel and DHL Aviation have shown significant growth in their air cargo revenue from 2018 to 2023, with Kuehne+Nagel starting at 6519.2 M USD and reaching 12084.7 M USD in 2023, and DHL Aviation increasing from 6170.3 M USD to 8951.0 M USD over the same period. FedEx Express, despite a slight dip in 2023, has maintained its position in the top three with a 2023 revenue of 6954.2 M USD. UPS Airlines increasing from 3603.1 M USD to 4827.6 M USD. Qatar Airways has exhibited substantial growth, more than doubling its revenue to 5143.8 M USD in 2023 from 2743.2 M USD in 2018. Collectively, these figures underscore the competitive landscape and individual trajectories of the top players in the global air cargo market.

 

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Kuehne+Nagel

6519.2

6339.4

6747.7

13316.8

14335.3

12084.7

DHL Aviation

6170.3

6505.2

5058.3

9315.3

11053.7

8951.0

FedEx Express

6539.3

6854.1

6472.8

7445.6

7927.0

6954.2

UPS Airlines

3603.1

3831.2

4554.7

6446.4

5839.8

4827.6

Qatar Airways

2743.2

3202.2

5082.3

6313.7

5654.9

5143.8

CEVA Logistics

4604.5

4886.4

3648.9

4779.0

5523.2

4486.6

Cargolux

2634.0

2259.0

3171.0

4429.0

5080.5

4304.0

Lufthansa Cargo

2875.8

2626.7

2928.8

4028.0

4904.6

3775.5

Emirates

4229.6

3973.2

1336.0

2556.6

4637.8

4071.1

Singapore Airlines Cargo

2220.5

1951.4

2709.0

3603.8

4339.4

3465.2

Cathay Pacific

3681.1

3095.3

3625.7

4655.8

3972.0

3540.5

Turkish Airlines

1647.1

1688.1

2722.2

4015.3

3735.3

3050.5

Air France-KLM

2425.3

2282.2

2722.1

3803.3

3712.1

2557.8

Korean Air

3348.9

3176.1

1924.3

2353.5

3698.1

2806.0

China Southern Airlines

1503.9

1442.3

2474.0

2983.1

3132.6

2839.7

Bolloré Logistics

2739.9

2956.3

1985.8

1980.2

2460.6

1938.7

Maersk Air Cargo

608.0

485.0

780.0

1110.8

1601.0

1080.8

China Airlines Cargo

544.1

573.9

734.3

1246.4

1165.5

1021.6

Others

115243.8

118678.1

96689.4

114770.3

104200.0

89924.6

Total

173881.4

176806.0

155367.3

199152.8

196973.3

166823.7

Kuehne + Nagel International AG (Kuehne + Nagel) is a provider of supply chain solutions. The company offers logistics solutions such as sea freight, air freight, road contract logistics, and integrated logistics. It also offers logistics planning, control, and execution for inbound logistics, outbound logistics, in-house logistics, supply chain consulting, industry solutions, packaging solutions, and after-sales logistics solutions. Kuehne + Nagel serves aerospace, automotive, high-tech, retail, fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceutical and healthcare, industrial, and oil and gas industries.

Item

Description

1

Company Name

Kuehne+Nagel

2

Website

home.kuehne-nagel.com

3

Established Time

1890

4

Headquarters

Switzerland

5

Area Served

Worldwide

6

Contact Information

Tel: +41 (0) 44 786 95 11

Add: Dorfstrasse 50, P.O. Box 67, CH-8834 Schindellegi, Switzerland

Air Logistics – our air shipping and air forwarding solutions to achieve your business goals
Improve your performance with our fully integrated systems and processes, data-driven insights, and innovative technological solutions. We’ve designed our services to address the challenges you face and give you an advantage.
Achieve your sustainability goals with our streamlined processes that allow you to replace fossil fuels across all modes of transportation. In air logistics, we offer two options for all quotes:
Opt-in to use Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) per shipment: instantly reduce your shipments carbon emissions
Retroactively: We calculate the amount of jet fuel kerosene consumed by your shipments and substitute it with SAF.
Your benefits:
Enjoy the simplicity of dealing with a team who understand your needs and can tailor a solution just for you
Air Logistics – our air shipping and air forwarding solutions to achieve your business goals
Improve your performance with our fully integrated systems and processes, data-driven insights, and innovative technological solutions. We’ve designed our services to address the challenges you face and give you an advantage.
 
Achieve your sustainability goals with our streamlined processes that allow you to replace fossil fuels across all modes of transportation. In air logistics, we offer two options for all quotes:
Opt-in to use Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) per shipment: instantly reduce your shipments carbon emissions
Retroactively: We calculate the amount of jet fuel kerosene consumed by your shipments and substitute it with SAF.
 
Your benefits:
Enjoy the simplicity of dealing with a team who understand your needs and can tailor a solution just for you
Reduce your carbon footprint by replacing fossil fuels with Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Gain access to our global network and take advantage of our close relationships with prime carriers
Give your urgent shipments the priority they need with our specialised charter options
Relax knowing that our air freight shipments are planned, controlled and measured according to Cargo iQ procedures, the globally recognised industry standard
Draw upon our versatile industry experience for dedicated solutions tailor-made for your special requirements

Our service portfolio includes:
Air Charter services
Time-Critical powered by Quick
Sea-Air Logistics
Airside Logistics
Time-defined
Cargo insurance (NACORA)
Customs clearance

Kuehne+Nagel has demonstrated a significant growth in both air cargo value and gross margin over the years. In 2018, the company’s air cargo value was 6519.2 million USD, and by 2023, it had increased to 12084.7 million USD, showing a substantial rise in revenue. The gross margin also saw an improvement, from 19.17% in 2018 to 18.43% in 2023. This growth can be attributed to Kuehne+Nagel’s strategic focus on yield management and cost control, as well as its ability to adapt to market conditions and capitalize on the growing demand for air cargo services. The company’s performance is also underpinned by its broad service offerings, including domestic and international logistics, and its commitment to sustainability and digital transformation, which are key drivers in the industry.

Kuehne+Nagel

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Value (M USD)

6519.2

6339.4

6747.7

13316.8

14335.3

12084.7

Gross (M USD)

1249.5

1147.7

1261.8

2479.4

2736.5

2226.8

Gross Margin

19.17%

18.10%

18.70%

18.62%

19.09%

18.43%

DHL Aviation is a division of DHL responsible for providing air transport capacity. It is not a single airline but a group of airlines that are either owned, co-owned or chartered by DHL Express. DHL Aviation provides air transportation services. The Company offers delivery of air cargo products, shipment tracking, chartering service, warehousing, and business tools.

Item

Description

1

Company Name

DHL Aviation

2

Website

aviationcargo.dhl.com

3

Established Time

1969

4

Headquarters

Bahrain

5

Area Served

Worldwide

6

Contact Information

Tel: +973 1733 5005

Add: Manama, MIDDLE EAST AREA, PO Box 5741

From transporting racehorses to cars and perishable goods to dangerous materials, DHL’s comprehensive airport-to-airport global network can help you take flight.

Our Ops team ensure cargo is loaded and transported to high standards. Tracking from departure to delivery gives secure shipment peace of mind.

Climate protection is a high priority – with Sustainable Aviation Fuel, innovative re-fleeting and fuel optimization key drivers of our sustainability strategy

DHL Aviation, a key player in the global air cargo industry, has shown a substantial increase in air cargo value from 2018 to 2023, as indicated in the “Table DHL Aviation Air Cargo Value, Gross Margin (2018-2023)”. The company’s air cargo value grew from 6170.3 million USD in 2018 to 8951.0 million USD in 2023, reflecting a robust expansion in its air freight operations. Concurrently, DHL Aviation’s gross margin experienced some fluctuations but overall demonstrated a positive trend, starting at 15.27% in 2018 and peaking at 18.18% in 2023, which suggests a improvement in the company’s profitability over the years. This growth can be attributed to DHL Aviation’s strategic investments in expanding its fleet and enhancing its air cargo services, as well as the overall increase in demand for air freight services globally. Despite facing industry challenges such as capacity shortages and rising procurement costs, DHL Aviation has managed to maintain a competitive edge in the market.

DHL Aviation

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Value (M USD)

6170.3

6505.2

5058.3

9315.3

11053.7

8951.0

Gross (M USD)

942.3

1020.1

829.4

1600.7

1949.5

1627.6

Gross Margin

15.27%

15.68%

16.40%

17.18%

17.64%

18.18%

FedEx Corp (FedEx) is a provider of transportation, e-commerce, and business services. It offers time-definite delivery services and international trade services such as customs brokerage, and global ocean and air freight forwarding. The company provides small-package ground delivery services, residential delivery services, less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services, in-store services, and other business solutions. FedEx also offers technical support, information technology, communications, and billing and collection services. The company operates under the brand names including FedEx, FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, FedEx Office, FedEx Logistics, FedEx Office, FedEx Custom Critical, FedEx Dataworks, and FedEx Services.

Item

Description

1

Company Name

FedEx Express

2

Website

www.fedex.com

3

Established Time

1971

4

Headquarters

USA

5

Area Served

Worldwide

6

Contact Information

Tel: (901) 818-7500

Add: 942 South Shady Grove Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38120

Worldwide Air Cargo Services
Connecting all major markets worldwide
FedEx Logistics offers international air freight forwarding services connecting all major global markets — inbound and outbound, intercontinental and interregional. Our service coverage encompasses Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific region, Africa and the Middle East.
 
Whether you want flexibility, faster transit times or faster speed-to-market, count on our local and international shipping expertise and wide range of solutions to manage all your air import and export. We keep your goods moving and your supply chain running smoothly.
 
Our offerings
Customized solutions at competitive rates
Inbound and outbound services from most major airports around the world
Comprehensive coverage and global supply chain solutions
Buyer’s consolidation, palletization and direct-to-consignee services
Distribution, including origin pickup and destination delivery      
Our offerings
 
Benefits
Regional gateways for transit and cost flexibility
Dedicated and experienced support with a single point of contact
Document preparation
Customs brokerage arrangements and online tracking tools
Airport-to-airport, airport-to-door, door-to-airport and door-to-door pricing options
Transit time options for airport-to-airport moves: standard, premium

FedEx Express, a major player in the global air cargo industry, has experienced a notable increase in air cargo value over the years from 2018 to 2023. The company’s air cargo value escalated from 6539.3 million USD in 2018 to a peak of 7927.0 million USD in 2022, before slightly dipping to 6954.2 million USD in 2023. In terms of gross margin, FedEx Express showed a consistent performance, starting at 17.70% in 2018 and reaching a high of 19.50% in 2023, indicating a strong profitability and effective cost management throughout the period. This growth can be attributed to FedEx Express’s strategic initiatives to enhance its service offerings, operational efficiency, and its ability to adapt to the evolving market demands in the air cargo sector.

FedEx Express

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Value (M USD)

6539.3

6854.1

6472.8

7445.6

7927.0

6954.2

Gross (M USD)

1157.2

1206.9

1180.4

1416.8

1500.6

1355.9

Gross Margin

17.70%

17.61%

18.24%

19.03%

18.93%

19.50%

Updated on 11/29/2024
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