Air freight & employees: Year-on-year comparison and strategies

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Transshipment volumes remain positive

Cargo handling volumes continue to develop positively. In the fourth quarter of 2025, member companies of the Association of Air Cargo Handlers of Germany (VACAD) handled 497,053 tons. This represents an increase of 4.1 percent compared to the third quarter of 2025 and 7.1 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. This trend is also evident in a year-on-year comparison: While the companies handled a total of 1,785,184 tons of cargo in 2024, the figure for the previous year was 1,861,191 tons. The increase of more than 75,000 tons corresponds to the loading capacity of approximately 750 Boeing 777F aircraft.

Contrary trend in employment figures

A contrasting trend is evident in the employment figures. In the fourth quarter of 2025, VACAD members employed 3,241 people. This figure remains unchanged compared to the third quarter of 2025 (3,239 employees) and is significantly lower than the same period of the previous year (3,443 employees). Even though cargo volume has recently increased despite the stagnant number of employees, the issue of labor shortages remains a key concern for the cargo industry and threatens to become a hindrance to further growth.

Recruiting staff remains difficult

“Recruiting staff remains difficult for ground handling companies. This is still largely due to the political framework, which, for example, leads to extremely long waiting times for security checks. Recently, however, there have been signals from politicians that this problem is finally to be addressed. We very much welcome this and eagerly await the air transport strategy paper announced for spring,” says VACAD Chairman Claus Wagner.

About VACAD e.V.

The German Air Cargo Handlers Association was founded in 2007. Based in Frankfurt am Main, the trade association has 15 members operating at nearly all commercial airports in Germany. In 2025, these members collectively handled approximately 1.9 million tons of cargo, employing around 3,250 people. Key objectives of the association include communication with ministries, government agencies, and other organizations, as well as public relations. Facilitating the exchange of experience and ideas among association and industry members is also a central focus.

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