“2025 exceeded expectations,” Angie Spear, director of the Alaska International Airport System, tells Freightweek.
Spear’s comments on the state of play at Alaska’s Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) are no outlier. In fact, it seems, despite what many may perceive as a hostile operating climate, that the situation is improving for some in the airfreight sector.
Encapsulating that confidence, one need only turn to Billund Airport, which, on the back of a major growth in volumes over recent years – up 15 percent between 2023 and 2024, and more than maintain this level – has announced the commencement of construction on a new cargo and logistics facility. At DKK80 million (US$12.5 million), the facility will include, among other things, a cross-docking terminal, boast 54 truck docks, a long-goods warehouse, and secure storage. But it is also a facility that the airport’s senior manager of cargo, Kaspar Andreas Nissen, describes to Freightweek as “the first”.
“It is the first facility of our airport city and serves as a sign of our commitment to the cargo community around Billund Airport,” Nissen tells Freightweek. “Construction is scheduled to commence in spring this year and is planned to be finished in 2027 – our aim is to see it become operational by summer next year. It all follows another strong year, with volumes for a second consecutive year approaching 90,000 tonnes, underlining the strength of the market around Billund Airport. We are positive that we can maintain this again in 2026.”
Nissen says that the new facility will increase capacity and improve efficiency in the transition between road transport and aircraft. He notes that in collaboration with HT Transport, Billund is strengthening cargo capacity and future-proofing its position as one of Northern Europe’s key air cargo hubs.
“Billund Airport and HT Transport have grown up together,” says Chief Development Officer at Billund Airport, Ronny Kristian Lilienvald . “As cargo volumes increase, facilities must keep pace. The new development will provide improved flow, shorter handling times and a more robust operation – benefiting freight forwarders, shippers and the entire value chain.”
Lilienvald notes that the airport boasts a lot of land from which it can offer first and second line facilities. With expansion in mind, it adds that being a regional gateway, it not only has land but land that is “ accessible at more competitive terms than in other major gateways”
“We are able to offer good first-line land at flexible terms ,” he continues. “This first facility, is both the first facility in our airport city's strategy, but it is – again – indicative of our commitment to the community.”
On the back of its positive performance, Spear says that ANC’s focus is on maintaining and strengthening its role as what she calls “the premier trans-Pacific cargo gateway”. In this respect, current and planned works include ongoing airfield and pavement rehabilitation projects, cargo apron improvements, and utility upgrades to support the safe, efficient, and reliable cargo operations. Together with these works, the airport is in constant liaison with its cargo operators and tenants to ensure leasing, operating, and infrastructure decisions remain responsive to evolving industry needs.
“These investments are designed to preserve ANC's competitive advantages – its geographic location, 24/7 operations, and uncongested airspace-while positioning the airport for long-term cargo demand,” she continues.
The efforts appear to be paying off, with Spear reiterating that “volumes at ANC showed strong performance in 2025”.
“Not only that, they exceeded expectations in several segments despite a complex global economic environment,” she adds. “Growth was supported by continued strength in international cargo operations, network adjustments by carriers seeking efficient trans-Pacific routings, and Anchorage's ability to accommodate widebody freighters. While global air cargo markets continued to normalise, ANC's growth reflected its structural and geographical advantages.”
Over the preceding two years, the Alaskan gateway welcomed a host of new international cargo carriers, including Awesome Cargo, Central Airlines, ASL Air Cargo, Aerologic, and CMA CGM Air Cargo. Looking ahead to 2026, Spear says that she is expecting not only continued momentum but the potential for moderate, sustainable growth. As international trade lanes evolve and carriers prioritise reliability, efficiency, and flexibility in their networks, her belief is that ANC remains well positioned to capture additional volume while maintaining operational stability.
“ANC continues to see strong activity tied to Asia-North America trade lanes, along with gradual diversification in carrier activity as operators adjust their networks in response to geopolitical considerations, operating costs, and aircraft performance requirements,” Spear notes. “Those 2024-2025 additions diversified ANC's market base beyond traditional integrators and underscore the airport's role as a flexible, neutral hub. Any associated uptick in volume is largely driven by airlines leveraging Anchorage's strategic location to optimise efficiency, payload, and operational resilience rather than by shifts tied to any single market.”
At the opposite end of the country, Miami International Airport (MIA) experienced its own “significantly better than expected” 2025, as far as its airfreight volumes went. Director and chief executive of MIA Ralph Cutié noted that despite the rapidly changing tariff environment, both domestically and internationally, MIA demonstrated resilience throughout the year.
“As of November 2025 (the most recent data available), airfreight volumes are up 12.9 percent year-over-year, putting MIA on pace to exceed 3.3 million US tons (3 million metric tons) for the first time ever and set a new annual record,” Cutié tells Freightweek. “MIA’s double-digit growth in 2025 also far outpaced IATA’s industry-wide projection of 3.1 percent in cargo growth.”
Cutié says that the reason for this robust growth is down to several factors, not least, an increase in e-commerce shipments. Further to this, it continues to benefit from its role as a major transit hub, while its extensive air route network, especially across Latin America and the Caribbean, also supports volumes.
“The latter two attributes of our cargo operations seem to have made MIA more attractive for shippers who re-routed their distribution channels to navigate the shifting international tariff environment during the year,” Cutié continues. “Looking ahead, notwithstanding geopolitical events and unforeseen circumstances, MIA’s forecast for airfreight volumes in 2026 is 3.5 million US tons. This (conservative) projection of plus-4.22% is based on finishing 2025 with 11 percent annual growth over 2024 (currently up 12.91 percent through 11 months of the year) and on a linear regression of tonnage growth at MIA between 2022 and 2025.”
On the back of these gains, Cutié says the gateway is engaging in several developments, not least a new phytosanitary and cold chain processing facility. To see this ambition realised, MIA has partnered with its maritime sister port, PortMiami, alongside private partners. Once completed, the facility will add 200,000 square feet of new refrigerated space adjacent to the airfield as well as 50,000 square feet for phytosanitary irradiation treatment.
Given that approximately two-thirds of all US air perishables imports enter the country through MIA, it is not surprising that the airport is upping its game. But the project will also lead to the first phytosanitary treatment facility in Miami-Dade County to treat non-traditional perishables, such as proteins, opening new market opportunities for local importers and exporters. Construction will begin this year and is scheduled for completion in 2027. Nor is this the loan development underway.
“MIA is in the process of acquiring an Airport Cargo Community System (ACCS) to streamline and optimise the movement of goods on and around the airport,” says Cutié. “Once implemented, the tool will provide more efficient freight truck queuing, better schedule coordination, and improved systems integration across the MIA cargo ecosystem to keep trade moving smoothly.”
Without wishing to sound repetitive, Liege Airport’s (LGG) 2025 cargo performance exceeded expectations, with volumes projected to grow by around 12 percent year-on-year and surpass the one-million-ton mark for the fifth consecutive year. Frédéric Brun, head of commercial cargo & logistics at LGG, and Torsten Wefers, vice president sales & marketing at LGG tell Freightweek that the growth was driven by sustained e-commerce demand, strong freighter activity, flexible charter operations. But they also pointed to something else.
“Growth was driven by our cargo-first, unrestricted 24/7 operating model that allows airlines and forwarders to adapt quickly to market needs,” continue Brun and Wefers. “Operational resilience also played a key role, as digitalisation, process optimisation and purpose-built infrastructure enabled higher volumes to be absorbed without a corresponding rise in congestion or disruption. Looking ahead, 2026 is expected to outperform 2025, supported by continued CargoLand by LGG investments, expanded warehousing capacity, maturing digital platforms and ongoing demand for specialized cargo flows.”
Representing the backbone of its current and planned cargo development, CargoLand by LGG is part of a €500 million long-term masterplan designed to scale capacity in a structured and future-proof way. The LGG pair note that programme combines new-generation warehouses, additional aircraft stands, dedicated MRO capability alongside strengthened multimodal connections to support sustainable growth. Together with this, there are plans for 38,000 square metres of new first-line warehouse space to complement existing large airside and landside e-commerce facilities, ensuring faster throughput and operational flexibility.
“Digital infrastructure is advancing at the same pace, with LGG Tracking already live and the gradual deployment of a Digital Twin enhancing visibility, predictability and coordination across the cargo chain,” Brun and Wefers say. “Targeted investments in commodity-specific infrastructure for e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, perishables, express cargo and live animals further reinforces our diversified, high-value cargo ecosystem.”
As to where the growth is coming, Brun and Wefers note upturns being recorded on not just traditional markers but newer and expanding markets, “particularly across Asia and the transatlantic corridor”.
“Growth linked to China has strengthened inbound e-commerce flows while also improving return, or backhaul, volumes, creating more balanced route economics,” they continue. “At the same time, new and expanded long-haul cargo services to North America are increasing network density and aircraft utilisation. Rising European export demand is further supporting these developments, helping airlines maintain sustainable operations. These trends are underpinned by structural advantages such as a freighter-first model, fast customs processes, a central European location and the role of LGG as a congestion-relief hub, all of which continue to attract new services and expanded cargo flows.”
