Air cargo sustainability pressure falls to lowest level since 2021
Despite lower external pressure, 95% of respondents say sustainability is backed by CEOs, while 72% have a formal sustainability strategy.
The external pressure on the air cargo industry to improve sustainability has fallen to 53% in 2026, the lowest level since 2021, according to the sixth annual Air Cargo Industry Sustainability Survey by the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA). However, the report found that internal commitment to sustainability remains strong, with 95% of respondents saying it is supported by their CEO and 92% saying it is a strategic priority.
The report, based on responses from 81 air cargo industry professionals, found that sustainability pressure has declined from 61% in 2025. The decline was particularly significant among organisations headquartered in North America and the Middle East.
At the same time, sustainability continues to matter to employees and customers, with 60% of respondents saying it is important to both groups. The report also found that regulatory pressure has fallen by 19 percentage points in two years.
The business case for sustainability has also weakened. Only 30% of respondents said sustainability has a positive impact on their company's bottom line, down 12 percentage points from last year. Reputation remains the strongest business driver for sustainability, followed by attractiveness.
Despite this, sustainability remains embedded in many companies. Around 72% of respondents said their organisation has a sustainability strategy, broadly stable from 71% last year. The figure rises to 86% among large organisations.
The report also found that 73% of respondents consider sustainability part of their company's DNA. Sustainability is integrated into risk management by 65% of companies, while 70% include sustainability considerations in procurement and 79% engage with industry partners to advance their sustainability goals.
Asia recorded the strongest performance on this measure, with 87% of companies saying sustainability is part of their corporate DNA. This compares with 80% in the Middle East and Africa, 73% in Europe and 44% in the Americas.
The report also highlighted a growing focus on climate adaptation. Some 68% of respondents said they had started integrating climate adaptation into their business strategy. Measures include climate-resilient infrastructure, changes to business continuity plans, climate scenario analysis and integrating climate risks into enterprise risk management.
Sustainability governance is also developing across the industry. The survey found that 58% of companies have a dedicated sustainability team, with the figure reaching 76% among large companies. In addition, 42% of chief sustainability officers or equivalent executives report directly to the CEO.
The report identified training and education, digitalisation, innovation, continuous improvement and operational excellence among the industry's top sustainability priorities. Energy consumption and asset utilisation remain the main decarbonisation levers.
SAF and other fossil-free energy are also gaining attention. Forty percent of participating companies said they are actively involved in their deployment, up eight percentage points from last year. Meanwhile, 30% of surveyed companies said they already use effective carbon offsetting mechanisms.
The report also noted a decline in the industry's focus on diversity and inclusion. While 84% of companies are actively investing in training and education and 77% in employee experience, only 64% are actively investing in diversity and inclusion.
The 2026 report is based on TIACA's sixth annual sustainability survey, conducted between November 2025 and April 2026. The survey included airlines, airports, ground handlers, freight forwarders, shippers, equipment manufacturers, IT providers and other industry organisations.
