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Europe’s Airfreight Landscape: New Pressures, New Opportunities

Europe’s air cargo industry is entering a period of rapid transformation, driven by tighter airline networks, evolving forwarder expectations, digital acceleration, and shifting supply chain dynamics. General sales and service agents (GSSAs)—once regarded primarily as intermediaries—are now emerging as strategic partners at the center of this change. Their expanding role reflects new operational realities, from the rise of regional airports to sustainability demands and nearshoring trends reshaping the continent.

GSSAs Shift From Intermediaries to Strategic Partners

The traditional view of GSSAs as simple commercial representatives is fading. Today, they are expected to provide forwarders with a wider suite of services: access to commercial incentives, operational efficiencies, and strategic guidance regarding route planning and airport selection.

Matthew Taylor, Business Development Director at 4RCargo, highlights this shift:

“Consolidations do, on the surface, appear to reduce competition. However, when combined with the right GSSA, these consolidations allow airlines to offer huge benefits for forwarders.”

Forwarders partnering with a capable GSSA can enjoy simplified supplier management, integrated operational planning across airline groups, and value-added services that preserve cost competitiveness while improving quality. These advantages are becoming essential as airlines streamline their networks and forwarders seek fewer—but more capable—strategic partners.

Yet, Taylor cautions that these benefits are not guaranteed. GSSAs themselves must evolve to keep pace with increasingly complex airline models and diversified service portfolios. The ability to adapt rapidly and deliver tailored solutions now defines the modern GSSA.

Regional Airports Rise as Post-Pandemic Cargo Hubs

The pandemic dramatically reshaped freight flows, loosening the dominance of traditional hubs such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Heathrow. As congestion eased and digitalisation accelerated, regional airports gained new prominence.

Taylor describes this shift:

“Since the Covid-19 pandemic, regional airports have been liberated from the chokehold of key hubs.”

Smaller airports increasingly offer advantages that compete directly with major gateways:

More digitalised infrastructure enabling faster data exchange
Higher operational success rates due to reduced congestion
Shorter processing and transit times
Lower risk of bottlenecks

For forwarders, routing through regional airports can reduce dwell time while improving predictability—critical in a post-pandemic environment where reliability is as valuable as speed.

This pattern is equally visible outside Europe. In the United States, for instance, avoiding bottlenecks in large hubs such as Chicago or Los Angeles allows forwarders to utilize underused belly capacity in cities like Pittsburgh or Portland. These alternative routes open new opportunities for airlines and forwarders while improving overall network efficiency.

Complex Airline Networks Create New Routing Advantages

As airlines consolidate and adjust their networks, GSSAs play a growing role in helping forwarders navigate a more intricate operational environment. One emerging advantage lies in the ability to leverage smaller airports nearer to final delivery points.

Using smaller or secondary airports often results in:

Lower total transit cost due to reduced last-mile transport
Shorter delivery times
Greater schedule reliability
Better utilization of diverse airline networks

Taylor emphasizes that these routing strategies benefit not only forwarders but also airlines, which gain higher load factors, broader market reach, and more efficient use of assets.

Nearshoring Trends Reshape European Supply Chains

One of the most influential shifts in Europe is the growing momentum behind nearshoring, particularly in industries such as automotive manufacturing. Companies that once relied on long-distance supply chains are now investing in production sites across Central and Eastern Europe.

Taylor explains:

“The traditional German automotive industry is increasingly investing in near-shoring options within Central and Eastern Europe. This is upending longstanding supply chains.”

For GSSAs, this transformation demands:

Deepening expertise in specific vertical sectors
Enhancing regional presence across multiple European markets
Forecasting changes in production and trade flows
Rapidly adjusting route offerings to match new supply points

While some industry observers believe GSSAs must choose between geographic expansion and vertical specialization, Taylor disagrees. Within Europe, he argues, the two goals reinforce each other: strong regional presence enhances specialization, and vice versa.

Sustainability Becomes a Core Component of the GSSA Value Proposition

Sustainability is emerging as a defining differentiator for GSSAs. With approximately 25 percent of global cargo tonnage now managed through GSSAs—and this share expected to grow—their influence on airlines and customers is substantial.

Taylor notes that airlines increasingly look to GSSAs for help advancing sustainability goals. At 4RCargo, for example, sustainability is built into operational planning:

Incorporating sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into quotes by default
Reviewing shipments 24–48 hours before departure to ensure the most efficient routing
Educating customers about emissions-reducing options
Working with airlines to promote greener solutions across the supply chain

As environmental regulations tighten across Europe, GSSAs that offer robust sustainability strategies will stand out as essential partners.

Digital Disruption and Staffing Pressures Shape the Future

Even with new opportunities emerging, the industry faces persistent pressures. Staffing shortages remain a long-term concern, affecting both airlines and ground operations. At the same time, digital disruption—automation, AI-powered planning tools, cargo visibility systems—is reshaping expectations around speed and transparency.

Forwarders increasingly demand:

End-to-end digital visibility
Faster decision-making
Integrated IT systems
Real-time capacity and pricing data

GSSAs that can combine human expertise with advanced digital capabilities will be best positioned to thrive in Europe’s evolving airfreight ecosystem.

Conclusion: A New Era of Strategic Partnerships

Europe’s air cargo market is being shaped by multiple forces: tighter airline networks, empowered regional airports, shifting supply chains, and rising sustainability expectations. In this environment, the GSSA has transitioned from a simple intermediary to a strategic partner capable of delivering commercial value, operational efficiency, and long-term resilience.

As forwarders refine their supplier lists and airlines focus on network optimization, GSSAs that can offer expertise, digital readiness, and sustainability leadership will play a central role in redefining Europe’s air logistics landscape.