Expeditors Reports 13% Air Cargo Volume Growth in Q3

Expeditors reported a 13% year-on-year increase in air cargo volume during Q3 2026. The company said shipments linked to hyperscalers and their Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers contributed to the growth.

Key details

• Monthly air cargo volume increases measured 8% in July, 13% in August and 19% in September.
• Airfreight revenue rose 51.4% to $1.5 billion.
• Expeditors attributed the revenue increase to higher cargo volumes and airfreight rates.
• The company said export tonnage grew most notably in South Asia.
• Expeditors said limited fleet expansion and delayed new aircraft deliveries constrained cargo capacity. Aircraft redeployments also affected Asia-Europe e-commerce capacity.
• The company said China-US e-commerce tonnage had nearly returned to its level before the United States ended de minimis treatment for shipments in May 2025.

Expeditors reported a 19% year-on-year increase in air cargo volume in September.

Why it matters

The quarterly figures connect cargo demand with aircraft capacity: Expeditors cited limited fleet expansion and delivery delays while reporting growth linked to AI infrastructure shipments. Its regional comments also point to South Asia as a key contributor to export tonnage gains.