Air Freight Operators Soar Toward Climate Change: The Shocking COVID Air Freight Surge That Won’t Go Away

Market distortions originating in COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions and supply chain disruptions accelerated shipping to the air freight cargo sector. Rather than returning to pre-pandemic levels, air freight has plateaued and, in some cases, is still growing. While FedEx, UPS, and Amazon celebrate a new norm in the shipping industry, their success comes at a dire cost. Stand Research Group’s investigation revealed the scope of air freight cargo’s growth. The research supports the need for immediate solutions to correct distortions in the shipping and logistics sector. Key Findings • As of this report, the United States is responsible for more than 40% of greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions from air freighter emissions globally. • Air freight operators have increased their GHG emissions by 25% compared to 2019, including almost 20 million tons CO2 or over 22 million tons CO2e. • FedEx, UPS, and Amazon Air generated more than 27% of the sector’s annual carbon emissions for global dedicated freighter flights, presenting material obstacles to climate progress. This report is intended to provide decision makers greater detail on the scope and scale of the problem. Section II provides an overview of the problem and details some of the dynamics that have kept aviation emissions elevated post-pandemic. Section III explores the contributions of individual industry actors like FedEx, UPS, and Amazon. Section IV presents a path forward, with specific steps industry leaders need to take in the near-term to correct persistent pandemic-era distortions in the air cargo industry and align the industry’s future with the needs of climate and communities.