The air freight market between Europe and Asia is one of the most important, most complex, and most volatile in the world. For SMEs importing goods from Asia into the Netherlands via Schiphol, shifts in this corridor directly affect your costs, your transit times, and the availability of capacity when you need it.

Here is what is shaping the market in 2026 and what it means for your imports.

Strong demand, tight capacity

Global air cargo volumes grew around 4% year on year through 2025, with the Asia-Europe trade lane among the strongest performers. Demand from e-commerce growth, manufacturing diversification across Southeast Asia, and time-sensitive industrial shipments has kept the corridor busy. This demand growth has not been fully matched by capacity expansion, keeping pressure on rates on key routes.

For importers, this means space is not always available when you need it, and last-minute bookings increasingly come with premium pricing or limited options. Planning ahead and maintaining a relationship with a forwarder who has established carrier relationships gives you a material advantage in tight markets.

Shifting trade flows and route changes

Trade policy developments over the past year have redirected some air cargo volumes. Manufacturing and fulfillment activity has continued to diversify across Southeast Asia, with Vietnam, Thailand, and India all growing as origin markets for European importers. This is creating new route requirements and changing the capacity picture on specific lanes.

At the same time, airline capacity deployment is adjusting. Several carriers have expanded their Asia-Europe freighter services, adding capacity particularly on routes through the Middle East. Gulf carriers who suspended operations due to regional airspace closures have been gradually resuming schedules, which is adding back some capacity on connecting lanes.

Rate dynamics in early 2026

Air cargo rates on the Asia-Europe corridor have seen upward movement in recent weeks, with some lanes recording increases as fuel costs rise and capacity adjustments take effect. China-Europe rates have moved higher, and Southeast Asia-Europe rates have followed. This follows a period of relative rate stability through much of 2025.

Fuel surcharges are a significant driver of rate changes in this environment. Jet fuel costs feed directly into the surcharges carriers apply, which are adjusted regularly. A quote from last month may not reflect current rate levels, particularly on high-volume lanes where carriers update pricing frequently.

On the Europe-Asia corridor, the difference between a forwarder with established carrier relationships and one without becomes very visible when capacity tightens. Strong partners secure space; weaker ones get what is left.

Schiphol's position in the corridor

Amsterdam Schiphol remains one of Europe's primary cargo hubs for Asia traffic, benefiting from its infrastructure and its role as a European distribution gateway. The airport handled around 1.43 million tonnes of freight in 2025, and while it has faced its own operational challenges, it continues to be a central entry point for Asian goods entering the Netherlands and broader Europe.

For importers routing through Schiphol, the airport's connectivity with major Asian carriers and its customs infrastructure provides practical advantages. Familiarity with Schiphol's procedures, handling partners, and operational patterns is a genuine asset for a freight forwarder operating on this corridor.

What this means for your planning in 2026

Staying ahead of the market

The Europe-Asia air freight corridor will remain active and dynamic through 2026. The fundamentals, strong trade flows, growing e-commerce volumes, and industrial imports requiring speed, are in place. The variables are capacity, geopolitics, and fuel costs, none of which are fully predictable.

For SMEs importing via this corridor, the best protection is a forwarder who understands the market, maintains strong carrier relationships, and keeps you informed when conditions change. Reactive logistics is expensive. Proactive logistics is not.

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BYR Logistics coordinates air freight imports from any origin worldwide via Schiphol. Proactive updates. Established carrier relationships. One contact who knows your business.

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