One bottleneck can conceal another. While the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz and its consequences on oil and gas prices dominate the headlines, another critical problem is beginning to impact numerous sectors — including pharmaceuticals and medical devices, textiles, electronics, automotive and aerospace spare parts, and luxury goods. In short, all supply chains that quietly rely on air freight to move their merchandise.
Gulf hubs at a near-standstill
For the past week, the airport hubs of Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi — which today serve as a major crossroads for air freight between Asia and Europe — have been virtually at a standstill. Consider that together, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways account for roughly 15% of global air freight transported in 2025, and likely double that on Asia-Europe routes.
Surging rates and creative alternatives
Faced with this loss of capacity, airlines are implementing alternative solutions through other hubs or direct flights, but this adds delays and, inevitably, costs. As a result, spot air freight rates reportedly jumped 10 to 15% last week, and freight forwarders are competing in agility and creativity to offer their clients charters or unprecedented routes — for example, a sea-air connection via the Maldives, opened last summer.
Time is of the essence, as a major peak in Asia-Europe trade is expected within the next week or two: Southeast Asian factories will need to ship the bulk of their production since the end of Chinese New Year celebrations on February 23.