Kuehne+Nagel air logistics volumes grow 7% in H1 2025

Kuehne+Nagel reported that its Air Logistics business grew by 7 percent in volumes in the first half of 2025, handling 1.1 million tonnes. The company said net turnover for Air Logistics rose by 8 percent year-over-year to CHF 3.6 billion, while EBIT for the unit increased by 10 percent to CHF 230 million. Kuehne+Nagel attributed the growth to strategic sales efforts and strong demand in perishables, semiconductors, and cloud infrastructure.

The company noted that the Air Logistics conversion rate stood at 26 percent. In the second quarter of 2025 alone, net turnover for Air Logistics reached around CHF 1.9 billion, marking a 3 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The company reported steady operational results for the first half of 2025 despite external challenges. The group’s net turnover rose 8 percent year-over-year to CHF 12.5 billion, or 12 percent when adjusted for currency effects. EBIT for the period was CHF 744 million and earnings reached CHF 555 million, with notable volume growth in Air Logistics.

Stefan Paul, CEO of Kuehne+Nagel International AG, said, “Our solid operational performance in the first half of 2025 once again demonstrated our resilience in a challenging market environment. The push of our strategic sales initiatives is proving to be highly effective.”

In Sea Logistics, Kuehne+Nagel reported a 16 percent year-over-year rise in net turnover to CHF 4.7 billion for the first half of 2025, with container volumes increasing by 2 percent to 2.1 million TEU. EBIT for Sea Logistics was CHF 368 million, affected by negative foreign exchange effects and market volatility after shifts in the US dollar and tariffs. The conversion rate stood at 34 percent. The company noted strong market share gains on the Asia-Europe trade lane as it balanced declining US volumes with growth in other regions.

In Road Logistics, Kuehne+Nagel recorded net turnover of CHF 1.8 billion and EBIT of CHF 47 million in the first half of 2025. The road network remained underutilised because of weak demand in European markets. To strengthen its regional presence, Kuehne+Nagel completed the acquisition of Spanish groupage logistics provider TDN at the end of the second quarter of 2025. The deal expanded the company’s coverage on the Iberian Peninsula, giving customers wider access to its European road freight network.

Dr. Joerg Wolle, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kuehne+Nagel International AG, stated, "In the first half of 2025, Kuehne+Nagel once again delivered a strong operating performance in an environment marked by geopolitical uncertainty. Turnover growth clearly outpaced the market average, confirming the company’s strategic direction. Kuehne+Nagel is well on track to further strengthen its market position.”

In Contract Logistics, net turnover reached CHF 2.4 billion in the first half of 2025 with EBIT at CHF 99 million. Results were affected by an extraordinary CHF 16 million provision linked to an ongoing cross-industry investigation in Italy. Despite this, operational performance was strong, with the second quarter being the best in the history of the unit. In June 2025, Contract Logistics expanded its partnership with Louis Vuitton by opening a new distribution centre in Tokyo to support the Japanese market and boost its premium retail logistics footprint in Asia.

Despite positive operational trends, foreign exchange effects negatively impacted EBIT by CHF 24 million across the group in the first half of 2025.