The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped global supply chains, and nowhere was this more evident than in the air freight industry. The unprecedented grounding of passenger fleets created an immediate and severe shortage of air cargo capacity. Discover why all-cargo flights in Europe soared to capture an astonishing 3 to 4 times their normal market share, turning dedicated freighter operations into the unexpected backbone of international logistics. This sudden and sustained demand highlights the fragility of air cargo’s dependence on passenger travel and reveals the urgent need for structural resilience in the post-pandemic era.
More than half of air cargo – freight and mail – is carried in dedicated “all-cargo” freighter aircraft and the rest in the holds of passenger aircraft. Though they carry a little over half of the cargo, all-cargo flights in normal years make up just 3 or 4% of total European flights.
EUROCONTROL Data Snapshot
In the first wave of COVID-19, boosted by the need to ship medical equipment, flights by the all-cargo segment of the market declined by ‘only’ 6% in April and May 2020. Meanwhile other market segments collapsed, giving a decline of nearly 90% for total flights. Since June, the number of all-cargo flights has actually been slightly higher than 12 months before: typically 2-4% higher, but 14% up in December 2020. All-cargo is the only market segment staying above 2019 flight counts. The graph shows that, as a result, the all-cargo segment’s share of flights at first grew rapidly to more than 20% of the total market. More recently, all-cargo has a market share of 10-11%, which is 3 or 4 times the normal share.
Even in normal times, cargo in the belly hold can make the difference between a profitable and a non-profitable route for a passenger airline. With passengers mostly unable to travel, cargo has become a commercial lifeline. So airlines have sought to maximise their cargo capacity. This includes use of empty passenger aircraft to carry cargo, even with cargo in the passenger compartment. We call this ‘passenger-as-cargo’ and some are referring to it as ‘preighter’.
We identify and count these ‘passenger-as-cargo’ flights using their flight plans. This might miss a few, but we believe that it gives a good estimate. At the peak, these flights were adding 5-6% to the market share of cargo, and even in recent weeks they have added around 2%: 5,400 such flights in January 2021 on top of 26,900 normal all-cargo.
Technical Bit
The statistics shown are for flights in the EUROCONTROL Network Manager area, so Europe in a wide sense as well as some neighbouring States. The ‘passenger-as-cargo’ flights are those that we would not normally identify as all-cargo flights , but nevertheless reporting ‘cargo’ in the remarks on the flight plan. Boeing reports that more than half of air cargo is carried by all-cargo aircraft in its ‘World Air Cargo Forecast’.
The Collapse of Belly Cargo: Fueling All-Cargo Dominance
Historically, nearly half of global air cargo capacity was carried in the « belly » holds of commercial passenger aircraft. When widespread travel restrictions grounded international passenger fleets, this integral source of capacity vanished almost overnight. The resulting vacuum meant that dedicated all-cargo flights suddenly became the only reliable option for transporting vital goods, from essential pharmaceuticals and PPE to high-volume e-commerce shipments. This operational necessity directly led to their massive and sustained surge in market share in Europe.
Rate Volatility and the Rise of « Preighters »
The drastic imbalance between air cargo supply and demand during this period led to extreme air freight rate volatility. With global inventory moving slowly, shippers were willing to pay premium prices for guaranteed space. This financial incentive drove many airlines to quickly adapt, temporarily converting passenger jets into makeshift cargo carriers, famously known as « preighters. » This operational innovation, while temporary, underscored the crucial role of pure cargo lifting capability during a global crisis and showcased the industry’s ability to innovate under duress.
Long-Term Impact: Fleet Decisions and Future Resilience
The sustained profitability and operational stability demonstrated by dedicated cargo operations have forced logistics providers and airlines to reconsider their long-term fleet strategies. The crisis clearly showed that relying heavily on passenger aircraft for cargo capacity is a systemic risk that can halt global trade. Consequently, many operators are now accelerating orders for new or converted freighter aircraft, positioning the industry for a more robust and resilient air cargo market structure in Europe and globally, moving forward.
Conclusion: Securing the Future of European Air Freight
The dramatic shift observed, where all-cargo flights commanded an extraordinary market share, was a defining characteristic of the aviation industry’s adaptation to crisis. While passenger traffic has since returned and restored some belly capacity, the lesson remains critical: dedicated cargo capacity is essential for supply chain security. This pivotal period cemented the role of all-cargo operations not just as a niche service, but as a critical, high-value component of the global logistics landscape.
The primary cause was the severe reduction in passenger flights following COVID-19 travel restrictions. Since passenger planes carry up to 50% of global air cargo (known as « belly cargo »), the grounding of these fleets eliminated huge chunks of capacity, leaving dedicated all-cargo flights to handle the remaining demand surge.
This shift highlighted the vulnerability of air cargo supply chains dependent on passenger travel. It accelerated investment in dedicated freighter fleets and conversion programs, promoting a more resilient and strategically independent European cargo airline sector for future crises.
« Preighters » (passenger aircraft temporarily modified to carry cargo in the cabin) were an essential, yet temporary, stopgap measure. They helped mitigate the extreme capacity deficit by utilizing otherwise idle passenger jets, providing desperately needed lift for high-value and time-sensitive goods across Europe.
