What Will Define the Next Decade of Air Cargo?
By Yuval Baruch, CEO, Hermes Logistics Technologies
The air cargo industry has always evolved in response to change.
Whether driven by global trade, customer expectations, technology or regulation, successful organisations have historically been those that adapted faster than the market around them.
Today’s pace of change feels different.
Connectivity, visibility and operational knowledge are already shaping the future of air cargo. The question is how effectively organisations can use these capabilities.
I believe Artificial Intelligence will become the enabler that brings them together. As Generative AI and Agentic AI continue to evolve, they have the potential to make connected systems more valuable, operational data more accessible and decades of industry knowledge available exactly when it’s needed.
Connectivity Will Become A Competitive Advantage
For years, cargo operations have relied on a complex network of systems, organisations and manual processes.
Airlines, ground handlers, airports, customs authorities and logistics providers all play a role in moving cargo from origin to destination, yet information often remains fragmented across multiple environments.
Over the next few years, the organisations that perform best will be those that can connect people, processes and data most effectively. This will mean an ecosystem of connected technologies exchanging information seamlessly and enabling faster, more informed decisions across the industry.
Real-Time Visibility Will Become An Expectation
Customers increasingly expect accurate information, immediate updates and greater transparency throughout the supply chain, which is already changing how cargo operations are managed.
The industry has spent years digitalising processes, we next need to ensure that operational information accurately reflects what is happening on the ground in real time or better, ahead of it. When data lags behind reality, decisions become slower, resources are used less efficiently and customer confidence can be affected.
As cargo networks become more interconnected, the value of advance and real-time visibility will continue to grow.
Operational Knowledge Must Be Embedded Into Technology
Many cargo operations have traditionally relied on highly experienced teams with deep operational knowledge developed over many years.
But as workforce dynamics change, organisations need to identify how to maintain consistency, quality and operational excellence when experience levels vary significantly across the workforce.
I believe technology and effective training will increasingly play a role in capturing, standardising and guiding operational best practice, helping organisations scale knowledge as effectively as they scale infrastructure.
AI Will Move From Experimentation To Everyday Operations
Artificial Intelligence is already generating significant interest across the cargo industry, but I believe its greatest impact will come from making operational expertise more accessible across the organisation.
Over the next decade, AI will increasingly become part of day-to-day cargo operations, helping users access information more quickly, identify exceptions sooner and make better-informed decisions. Rather than searching documentation, navigating multiple systems or waiting for specialist support, operational teams will increasingly be able to interact with technology in more natural ways, finding answers, resolving issues and making decisions more quickly.
The organisations that gain the greatest value from AI will be those that combine it with high-quality operational data, connected systems and decades of industry expertise. AI is not a standalone solution; it becomes most powerful when embedded within the operational ecosystem, helping people work faster, more consistently and with greater confidence.
Resilience Will Matter More Than Efficiency Alone
For many years, the industry focused heavily on efficiency, while this remains important, recent disruptions around the world have highlighted the value of resilience.
The ability to respond quickly to changing demand, operational disruption or new customer requirements is becoming a critical capability. The companies that thrive will be those that can embrace change without creating additional complexity for their customers.
The Future Is Already Taking Shape
The future of air cargo will not be defined by AI alone. It will be shaped by how effectively the industry combines AI with connected technology, operational expertise and resilient processes. Organisations that successfully bring these elements together will be best placed to adapt, innovate and compete in the decade ahead.
