Home > Aerospace & Defense > Airport Operations > Airport Infrastructure > Air Cargo Container Market

Air Cargo Container Market Size By Aircraft (Passenger, Freighter, Military), By Container Type (Refrigerated, Non-Refrigerated), By Material (Metal, Composite), Civil Aircraft By Deck (Main, Lower [Forward Hold, Aft Hold]), By End-User (New Sales, Maintenance & Repair), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2021 – 2027

  • Report ID: GMI3050
  • Published Date: Feb 2021
  • Report Format: PDF

Air Cargo Container Market Size

Air Cargo Container Market size valued at USD 1.48 billion in 2020 and will grow at a CAGR of 3.8% from 2021 to 2027. Rising export of pharmaceutical products across the world is expected to increase industry demand.
 

The proliferation of the e-commerce industry has put various sales channels under pressure for fast delivery and more efficient supply chain. Numerous third-party logistics players are offering more multidimensional services including air cargo service as a critical mode of goods transportation. In general, goods transported by air are perishables and high-value products including foods & beverages, pharmaceuticals, biological products, computers, and consumer electronics, which are also the fastest-growing trade flows among various countries. Growing overall cross-border trade is anticipated to drive the demand for the air cargo market.
 

Air Cargo Container Market

Air cargo containers or Unit Load Devices (ULD) are solid vessels that are used to store luggage, freight or other cargo. It includes refrigerated and non-refrigerated containers that can accumulate large quantity of cargo as a single unit. The shape and size of containers varies depending upon the consumer requirements and cargo type. These containers should be compatible with cargo handling systems and are designed to fit in the aircraft equipment.
 

Expansion of air cargo terminals in emerging economies will assist product development

Trending conversion & upgrade of existing airport into cargo terminals across emerging countries in response to ever-growing air cargo demand will drive air cargo container market development. Nairobi developed on-airport refrigerated storage facilities in the past, which has been operated and maintained by the ground handling subsidiary of Kenya Airways. This makes it more efficient to handle and screen food cargo, which usually has low shelf-life. Such trends are poised to drive the need for ULD containers globally.
 

Air Cargo Container Market Analysis

Air cargo container market from freighter aircraft generated around USD 700 million in 2020 propelled by its extensive use in transporting air cargo. The increasing preference toward online shopping and the presence of a large number of manufacturing facilities of electronic products & other commercial goods in countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand, China, Japan, Taiwan, and India, are boosting the air cargo market. Airlines including SpiceJet, Garuda Indonesia, and ANA Cargo are likely to deploy more freighter aircraft, driving demand through 2027.
 

Refrigerated container segment is projected to register growth rate of above 4.2% CAGR till 2027. The global pharmaceutical market is the most specialized, regulated, and fragile cargo market to handle in the world today. Temperature-controlled pharmaceutical and biological products require refrigerated containers, which can maintain temperature in the range of 2oC to 8oC or well below 0oC depending on the pharmaceutical product to be transported. According to IATA, the total airline cargo revenue for pharmaceutical products exceeded USD 1.4 billion in 2018 and is estimated to grow further owing to its ability to transport products in short duration as well as preserving and maintaining the fragile cargo.
 

Metal material is predicted to capture more than 80% of the air cargo container market share by 2027. ULD containers are generally manufactured from aluminum or steel based on the requirements. Aluminum is generally preferred due to its lightweight properties and corrosion-free nature. Air cargo container comprises aluminum extrusions, relatively thick base sheet, and aluminum side and roof panels.
 

In 2020, the main deck segment accounted for majority of the market share. The major portion of the cargo is generally carried on the main deck, which is also known as upper deck of an aircraft. The cargo freighter airplane has its entire main deck equipped for upper deck type of containers while Combi aircraft utilizes its rear part of the main deck for cargo loading.
 

Air Cargo Container Market Size

The new sales segment is forecast to witness around 4% CAGR through 2027. China’s commercial aircraft fleet has increased sevenfold and accounted for above 25% of all aviation growth globally in the last decade. China’s airlines are poised to acquire about 8,600 new aircraft, which will be valued at USD 1.4 trillion coupled with services valued more than USD 1.7 trillion over the next 20 years. Such trends will encourage sales of new air cargo container in the aviation sector during 2021 to 2027.
 

Air Cargo Container Market Share

Europe air cargo container market size is set to expand at 3.5% CAGR during 2021 to 2027. Various factors, such as growth of the e-commerce sector and increased focus on adoption of temperature-sensitive products, are expected to drive the market development in European countries. Additionally, the growth of the consumer electronics industry is supporting air cargo market growth through 2027. The growing popularity of certified containers in this region is likely to drive the market growth rate. European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is a regulating body that provides guidelines for air cargo transportation to maintain airworthiness of the product.
 

Air Cargo Container Market Share

Various industry players in the air cargo container market include:

  • Nordisk Aviation
  • Granger Plastics
  • Envirotainer
  • Safran Aerosystems
  • VRR Aviation
  • ACL Airshop
  • Unilode
  • CHEP
  • Jettainer
     

The market share is bifurcated among new equipment manufacturers and service providers. The new equipment industry is highly consolidated with the top industry participants accounting for a major stake in the global market in 2020. These companies are focused on developing new and efficient containers to meet the growing demand from air cargo industry.
 

This market research report on air cargo container includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue in USD million from 2017 to 2027 for the following segments:

Click here to Buy Section of this Report


Market, By Aircraft

  • Passenger
  • Freighter
  • Military

Market, By Container Type

  • Refrigerated
  • Non-refrigerated

Market, By Material

  • Metal
  • Composite

Civil Aircraft By Deck

  • Main
  • Lower
    • Forward hold
    • Aft hold

Market, By End-User

  • New sales
  • Maintenance & Repair

The above information is provided on a regional and country basis for the following:

  • North America
    • U.S.
    • Canada
  •  Europe
    • Germany
    • UK
    • France
    • Spain
    • Italy
    • Russia
    • Netherlands
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • India
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
  •  LATAM
    • Brazil
    • Mexico
    • Columbia
  • MEA
    • South Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Israel
    • Turkey
       
Authors: Avinash Singh, Sunita Singh

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) :

Air cargo container market generated USD 1.48 billion in 2020 and will register a CAGR of 3.8% through 2027 with increasing export of pharmaceutical products across the world.

The freighter aircraft segment was valued at USD 700 million in 2020 and will witness strong growth on account of wide application in transporting air cargo, with increased e-commerce activities.

The demand for refrigerated air cargo containers is likely to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% up to 2027 with growing need for transporting temperature controlled pharmaceutical and biological products.

The metal segment is estimated to capture around 80% revenue share of air cargo container industry by the end of 2027.

The market for air cargo containers in Europe is projected to grow at 3.5% CAGR over 2021-2027 led by growth of the ecommerce sector and the widespread adoption of temperature sensitive products.

Air Cargo Container Market Scope

Buy Now


Premium Report Details

  • Base Year: 2020
  • Companies covered: 10
  • Tables & Figures: 266
  • Countries covered: 25
  • Pages: 170
 Download PDF