How does dust threaten air cargo efficiency and sustainability?

When planning for the future of air cargo, industry leaders often zero in on familiar hurdles: fuel price volatility, tightening emissions regulations and congested airports. But there’s a quieter, largely overlooked threat lurking above us — one that’s steadily impacting aircraft performance, operational efficiency and long-term sustainability.

This threat isn’t always visible. In fact, it’s often ignored until it disrupts visibility entirely or leads to unexpected maintenance issues. It’s not mechanical, or technological. It’s airborne dust.

Yes, airborne dust — tiny, mineral-rich particles lifted from deserts and drylands — is posing a growing risk to the global air cargo industry. As the total flight volumes are expected to hit over 40 million globally in 2025, this invisible adversary is increasingly degrading engine performance, shortening maintenance cycles, and undermining sustainability goals across some of the world’s busiest cargo routes.

While dust storms occasionally make headlines due to dramatic visuals and flight cancellations, the real issue lies in chronic exposure to fine dust particles. Numerous scientific research has confirmed what many aviation engineers and operators have long suspected: dust ingestion causes cumulative and costly damage to aircraft.

A global problem with local intensities
A 2024 study led by the University of Reading, supported by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), analysed 17 years of dust exposure data using CAMS reanalysis and NASA’s CALIPSO satellite. The study examined 10 major airports situated in regions with high dust activity, including Phoenix, Canary Islands, Marrakesh, Niamey, Dubai, Delhi, Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Sydney.

Their findings were striking: aircraft engines routinely ingested up to 6.6 grams of dust per cycle, especially during takeoff, landing and holding phases. For a high-utilisation freighter operating 1,000 flight cycles in a dusty region, that equates to more than 10 kilograms of particulate matter funnelling through the engine. Even these seemingly small quantities can wreak havoc on high-performance turbofan engines over time.

Dust particles range from sub-micron to several hundred microns in size. The smaller particles can remain suspended in the atmosphere for days, travelling thousands of kilometres. These particles are not only abrasive but when exposed to high engine temperatures, can melt and resolidify, forming deposits that block nozzles, vents and cooling systems.

Invisible engine damage = Visible costs
Dust ingestion impacts nearly every part of the engine system:

• Compressor blade erosion reduces aerodynamic efficiency, requiring more fuel to generate the same thrust.
• Melted mineral buildup clogs cooling vents and fuel nozzles, increasing heat and wear.
• Protective coatings corrode, accelerating the need for maintenance and part replacement.

These effects lead to higher fuel burn, increased emissions, shorter maintenance intervals, and ultimately, higher operational costs. For cargo airlines — whose profit margins hinge on load efficiency and tight schedules — this translates into a compounding threat to bottom-line profitability.

Even more concerning, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), dust and sand ingestion can reduce engine power and, in extreme cases, lead to complete engine failure. In addition, the infiltration of fine dust into avionics and cockpit instrumentation poses risks to electrical systems and sensors.

Holding patterns and hot zones
The vertical distribution of dust is also critical. The study found that aircraft are most vulnerable to dust ingestion during arrivals, particularly when flying in holding patterns at altitudes of 1–2 kilometres, where dust concentrations often peak.

• Dust ingestion during arrivals was 24% higher than during departures.
• In some cases, over 50% of dust exposure occurred while aircraft circled in holding patterns awaiting landing clearance.

This phase of flight, often overlooked in engine wear modelling, is now seen as a critical moment where operational changes can yield major sustainability gains.

Dust and sustainability: A clashing forecast
From an environmental perspective, the implications are concerning. Engine degradation from dust increases fuel consumption, which in turn drives up CO₂ and NOₓ emissions. As airlines invest in newer aircraft and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) among others to meet net-zero goals, the hidden drag from airborne particulates risks offsetting those gains.

Worse still, climate change may exacerbate the problem. Rising surface temperatures, changing wind patterns and desertification are contributing to more frequent and intense dust events. Satellite data and global models suggest dust activity could increase in coming decades, particularly in regions already prone to high particulate emissions.

According to the WMO, phenomena like haboobs—intense dust storms driven by convective downdrafts—can suddenly create zero-visibility conditions and expose engines to extreme loads of particulate matter. These localised events often escape broader weather models, making real-time monitoring even more essential.

Operational fixes: Simple changes, big gains
The good news? Practical solutions are available—and they don’t require expensive retrofitting or radical technology shifts.

The Reading-CAMS study suggests two mitigation strategies:

1. Night-time flight operations
Dust concentrations are significantly lower at night due to cooler temperatures and reduced convective activity. For example, at Dubai International, shifting landings to nighttime hours could cut dust ingestion by up to 41%.

2. Adjusted holding altitudes
By increasing the altitude of holding patterns, aircraft can avoid layers of peak dust. At Delhi, rising holding altitudes during the monsoon season reduced engine dust exposure by 44%.

Monitoring and forecasting: The next frontier
To make these adjustments work consistently, cargo airlines must adopt more data-driven operational planning. Integrating dust forecasts from CAMS, vertical profiles from ground-based lidar, and real-time satellite data (like CALIPSO and CATS) can help dispatchers, pilots, and ATC make smarter decisions.

Airport authorities in dust-prone regions could also invest in real-time air quality and dust layer monitoring, just as they currently do for wind shear or runway contamination.

Planning for a dustier future
The global air cargo sector is expanding rapidly, and with e-commerce, cold chain logistics, and pharmaceutical freight on the rise, the pressure for efficient, timely, and green operations will only grow. If the aviation industry continues to overlook the role of environmental particulates, it may find its climate gains and cost-control efforts eroded — literally and figuratively — by a cloud of dust.

Mitigating airborne dust exposure isn’t just about prolonging engine life. It’s about safeguarding sustainability pledges, ensuring reliable delivery, and keeping costs manageable in an increasingly volatile environment.

As cargo fleets crisscross dusty skies from Phoenix to Delhi, the industry must adapt with smarter flight paths, predictive planning and atmospheric awareness. What’s invisible to the eye today could become a visible cost tomorrow.