Driven by the wave of Artificial Intelligence (AI), cross-border demand for AI hardware including servers, semiconductors and computing power equipment has surged, continuously fueling structural shifts across the air cargo sector. Data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reveals that air freight handled over two-thirds of the total value of AI-related traded goods in 2025, with 68% of data storage unit trade and 56% of server trade reliant on air cargo. Though AI-related shipments account for merely 7% of total air cargo tonnage, they make up 53.5% of the total value of goods transported by air.
This striking contrast-low tonnage share paired with dominant value share-signals an overhaul of the air cargo market landscape, reshaping the industry's operational framework comprehensively across three dimensions: demand composition, profit models and cargo hub development.
First, shifts in demand composition: high-value AI hardware underpins core revenue streams for air carriers.
Traditional air cargo has long been powered by general merchandise and cross-border e-commerce, with tonnage volume dictating industry earnings. The AI boom, however, has reversed this fundamental supply-demand logic, fostering an innovative profit model defined by low shipment volume yet high cargo value.
IATA forecasts global air cargo tonnage will edge up only 0.7% in 2026. Nevertheless, buoyed by high-value AI cargo, total annual air cargo revenue is projected to hit USD 162 billion, a year-on-year rise of 7.2%, while cargo yield will climb 6.5% year-on-year to halt three consecutive years of decline. Against a backdrop of squeezed profits from soaring fuel prices and geopolitical volatility, AI hardware transportation has become a reliable stabilizer of earnings for air freight operators.
Second, evolving profit models: shifting from volume-driven tonnage pricing to specialized value-added services.
Historically, air freight carriers competed primarily on shipment volume and base freight rates, with profits heavily reliant on fuel margins and cabin utilization rates. AI hardware transportation unlocks fresh profit pools, steering the industry away from homogeneous capacity competition toward high-barrier professional supply chain services.
The latest research report by Goldman Sachs estimates the global server market will reach a total size of USD 1.1 trillion by 2028. The AI server rack segment alone will expand to USD 561.4 billion, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 118% and capturing roughly 51% of total global server revenue, generating sustained incremental cross-border air freight demand. Transporting AI equipment goes far beyond basic cargo space rental; airlines must deliver complementary value-added services including constant temperature & humidity warehousing, shockproof specialized packaging, professional oversize cargo handling, full-lifecycle real-time tracking and hazardous material management, yielding far higher gross margins than conventional cargo transport.
Third, accelerated cargo hub development: Asia-Pacific air freight nodes consolidate market standing at a faster pace.
Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) shows China's total air cargo and mail volume hit 10.172 million tons in 2025, growing 13.3% year-on-year. International routes recorded a 22.1% year-on-year cargo surge, vastly outpacing domestic routes, accounting for 43.3% of total cargo tonnage and 78.7% of total cargo turnover. The international market thus serves as a key growth engine for China's air cargo sector.
China has established a complete industrial chain for AI hardware, covering semiconductor packaging, complete server manufacturing and supporting computing power components. Mass volumes of high-value goods create steady rigid demand for cross-border air transport, prompting leading domestic cargo airlines to expand intercontinental all-cargo flight networks. Major hub airports have simultaneously upgraded special cargo infrastructure by expanding temperature-controlled storage and oversize cargo handling zones to meet transportation standards for precision AI equipment, further strengthening regional competitive edges.
In summary, the AI revolution unlocks brand-new growth prospects for the air cargo industry. Relevant enterprises must continuously scale up specialized infrastructure construction and implement full-process digital management to cater to long-term market demand for precision AI equipment transportation, and fully capture industrial dividends brought by global computing power infrastructure development.
