MARKET STRUCTURE · COMPETITIVE · EUROPE
Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Kuwait close airports
Change
Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Kuwait closed their airports, removing major Gulf transshipment capacity from Middle East–South Asia air cargo routes.
Why it matters
The airport closures removed principal Gulf hub capacity used for east–west transshipment. Middle East and South Asia origin capacity fell 48% year‑on‑year over a five‑week period, with chargeable weight down 29% and freight rates out of the region up 48% in a two‑week comparison. Major Gulf carriers (Emirates SkyCargo, Qatar Airways Cargo and Etihad) together represent roughly 13% of global air cargo capacity. Flights rerouted through Central Asian corridors or via Indian airspace added two to four hours per sector; China–Europe air cargo capacity is estimated to have contracted 15–22% of pre‑disruption levels, and Africa origin capacity declined 22% with rates up 16%.
Implications
- · Higher freight rates increase landed costs for pharmaceutical imports, perishable shipments, and e‑commerce fulfillment that rely on Gulf transshipment.
- · Rerouted sectors adding two–four hours reduce effective aircraft utilisation and concentrate limited capacity on remaining corridors.
- · China–Europe and other key time‑sensitive corridors face materially reduced available airlift (estimated 15–22% contraction), tightening space for urgent cargo.
Who is affected
- · Air cargo carriers and airline network planners
- · Freight forwarders and logistics managers
- · Pharmaceutical importers, perishable exporters, and e‑commerce fulfillment operators reliant on Gulf transshipment
- · Supply chain and procurement planners using China–Europe and South Asia–Europe/North America air corridors
Source
Topics
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