The global artificial intelligence race is reshaping Asian air cargo networks. As tighter US and EU import rules slow down Chinese e-commerce shipments, airlines like Korean Air and Japan Airlines are redesigning their routes around semiconductor hubs. Driven by multi-year orders for advanced chips and AI servers, high-tech cargo has replaced e-commerce as the primary industry growth driver, filling hubs like Taipei to capacity and forcing carriers to adapt to high-value, delicate cargo.
AI chip cargo growth
- ▪Korean Air Lines cargo revenue rose 46% in the second quarter of 2026 to 1.54 trillion won ($1.07 billion), driven by AI chips, server racks, and data center infrastructure
- ▪IATA estimates that AI-related goods accounted for 53.5% of the value of goods carried by air in 2025 while making up just 7% of cargo volume
- ▪According to Xeneta, global semiconductor sales more than doubled year-on-year in April 2026, marking the strongest growth since records began in 1986
E-commerce shipment decline
- ▪China's low-value and e-commerce exports fell 7% in May 2026, marking a sixth consecutive monthly decline
- ▪Niall van de Wouw of Xeneta stated in July 2026 that e-commerce is no longer air freight's single biggest growth pillar
Import regulation changes
- ▪The European Union abolished its duty-free threshold for low-value imports in July 2026, which ANA Holdings cited as a downside risk for the broader cargo market
- ▪The United States ended duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from China in 2025
Asian semiconductor manufacturing hubs
- ▪Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore are emerging as increasingly important manufacturing and assembly hubs for AI servers destined for North America and Europe
- ▪Freight throughput at Singapore's Changi Airport grew 8.7% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, driven by strong global semiconductor demand
Airline network restructuring
- ▪ANA Holdings is integrating Nippon Cargo Airlines to shift more large freighters onto trans-Pacific and European routes to funnel semiconductor cargo
- ▪China Airlines added Southeast Asia freighter flights as manufacturers diversify production, lifting its cargo volumes 8.1% in the first half of 2026
- ▪EVA Airways reported that AI-related shipments now account for up to half of its cargo revenue
- ▪Japan Airlines expanded freighter services linking semiconductor hubs such as Taipei, Bangkok, and Hanoi with Tokyo's Narita airport
- ▪Cathay Pacific Airways introduced software that automatically determines how sensitive semiconductor equipment and AI hardware should be loaded and secured
Multi-year AI hardware demand
- ▪Demand tied to AI infrastructure is underpinned by multi-year orders for advanced memory chips and processors stretching two to three years into the future
- ▪Dimerco Express Group reported that AI and semiconductor shipments filled Taiwan's Taipei air cargo hub to capacity in July 2026
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