The 2026 IATA Cargo Day - North Asia & Guangzhou International Air Cargo Hub High-Quality Development Conference was held in Guangzhou on June 2 and 3 under the theme of "China's Hub Linking the World".

Fueled by robust cross-border e-commerce growth, global air cargo demand maintains upward momentum. Statistics from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) show worldwide air cargo volumes rose by 3.4 percent year-on-year in 2025 to an all-time record, with carriers across the Asia-Pacific outperforming all other regions at an 8.4 percent cargo demand surge.

Strong global cargo demand is gravitating toward the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), one of China's most open and dynamic city clusters. In 2025, the GBA's seven-airport conglomerate handled 237 million passenger and 9.72 million tonnes of cargo and mail throughput, ranking among the world's premier airport hub clusters. 

The robust air cargo infrastructure is pivotal to the GBA's development, underpinning its manufacturing focus and enabling its global "source-to-market" trade strategy via efficient air logistics.

"The air cargo sector has entered a new development phase featuring parallel implementation of industrial standards and capacity building," said Xie Xingquan, Regional Vice President for North Asia at IATA, during his opening speech. Faced with new patterns of global trade, he noted the industry needs to strengthen resilience, ensure safety and compliance, and release more value through multi-party collaboration, while continuously improving efficiency, controlling costs, and optimizing services.

A new cargo terminal at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is set to open in the near future. The Terminal 3 International Cargo Facility, a core component of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport's Phase III Expansion Project, will commence operation soon.

Multiple cooperation agreements were sealed at the event. China Southern Air Logistics Co., Ltd. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Federal Express Corporation to deepen collaboration on capacity alignment and route network integration. Moreover, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport signed an MoU with Glasgow Prestwick Airport of the United Kingdom, further expanding Guangzhou air cargo hub's global partnership and multi-dimensional service footprint.

"Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport's world-class infrastructure and global connectivity, combined with Prestwick's operational efficiency, create a highly effective partnership that benefits airlines, businesses, and customers alike," said Jules Matteoni, CEO of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. 

Reporter | Zhou Hongdou

Editor | Yin Juewen