2024 Top 10 Airports by Air Freight Tonnage: Asia Dominates

Overview

The global air freight market experienced a volatile recovery in 2023. Based on industry estimates, global air cargo volume is projected to grow by approximately 4.5% in 2024. The following ranking uses full-year freight throughput data (in tonnes) for 2023, reflecting each airport's hub status in cross-border e-commerce, semiconductors, fresh cold chain, and other sectors.

2024 Top 10 Airports by Air Freight Tonnage

1. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) – 4.2 million tonnes

- Topping the list for many years, leveraging the Greater Bay Area's manufacturing and re-exports; FedEx and DHL operate Asian hubs here.

1. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) – 3.8 million tonnes

- China's largest cargo gateway, handling exports of electronics and auto parts from the Yangtze River Delta; FedEx and UPS operate intercontinental routes.

1. Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) – 3.1 million tonnes

- Key channel for Korean semiconductor and display exports; Korean Air and Asiana Airlines hold major capacity.

1. Dubai International Airport (DXB) – 2.6 million tonnes

- Middle East logistics hub; Emirates SkyCargo connects Europe, Asia, and Africa; high proportion of express and high-value cargo.

1. Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) – 2.2 million tonnes

- Critical node for global semiconductor transport; EVA Air and China Airlines operate numerous freighters.

1. Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) – 2.1 million tonnes

- FedEx global super hub, core of North American next-day delivery network.

1. Narita International Airport (NRT) – 2.0 million tonnes

- Base for Japanese auto parts and machinery exports; All Nippon Airways and Japan Cargo Airlines dominate.

1. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) – 1.8 million tonnes

- Transpacific fuel stop and transit point for freighters; high FedEx and UPS transfer volumes.

1. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) – 1.7 million tonnes

- Europe's largest air cargo gateway; Air France-KLM Cargo and FedEx European hub.

1. Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) – 1.6 million tonnes

- Southeast Asian electronics and pharmaceutical cold chain center; Singapore Airlines Cargo and DHL South Asia hub.

Trends

• Asia Concentration: 7 of the top 10 are in Asia, accounting for ~40% of global freight tonnage.
• E-commerce Driver: Emerging airports like Shenzhen and Guangzhou have high potential but are not yet in the top 10.
• Geopolitical Impact: US-China trade tensions benefit transit hubs like Anchorage in the short term, but long-term regional diversification is evident.

Data source: Industry estimates based on 2023 full-year air freight throughput. The chart shows tonnage and ranking for each airport.