Regulations governing the shipment of lithium ion batteries tested by Samsung phone recall.

The air cargo industry is in a difficult transformation period as it struggles to adapt to a changing cargo mix and rising demands from customers for better shipment visibility and a more reliable service.

Forwarders are reporting a steady rise in shipper enquiries into the China-Europe rail route from higher value shippers looking for an alternative to expensive and often unreliable air freight and the lengthy ocean shipping.

Trans-Pacific air freight markets will continue to benefit from shipper demand as U.S. ports take several months to clear the backlog of containers that stacked up during the protracted waterfront labor dispute between terminals and the union.

HONG KONG — Air freight on the Asia-North America trade is riding a tailwind that filled freighters and bellies in the la

Following a strong end to 2014, global air freight demand will rise 4.5 percent in 2015, outpacing the growth of world trade, the International Air Transport Association says.

Five straight quarters of continued growth and a supply-demand balance has led to a turnaround in the air freight business this year, with more solid growth still to come, believes Atlas Air’s Michael Steen.

The air cargo industry is in a battle for survival and needs to urgently address fast evolving shipper demands, said Glyn Hughes, global head of cargo for the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Air freight is suffering from the same issues that afflict container shipping, with growing volumes not enough to lift profitability in the face of high fuel prices, weak yields and growing capacity, the International Air Transport Association said in an industry report.

The second-quarter recovery that gave air and ocean cargo such a welcome boost looks set to continue its momentum well into the second half as the latest economic and freight indicators show some positive numbers.

The growth in global air cargo traffic slowed in June as a strong performance by Asia-Pacific and Middle East carriers was offset by declines in Europe and North and South America, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Inadequate airspace capacity for civil air traffic, rapid growth of the Chinese aviation industry, capacity constraints at airports, and rigid operating regulations add up to congestion and delays for carriers serving the mainland’s busy cargo gateways, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The global air cargo market saw demand grow 3.2 percent in April from a year earlier, but traffic was down from previous months due to a further slowdown in emerging markets, led by China, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Global air freight traffic grew 2.9 percent in February from a year ago, extending and strengthening the recovery that began in the second half of 2013, the International Air Transport Association reported.

The global air cargo market faces a challenging year after growing just 1.4 percent in 2013, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The global air cargo market stabilized in September, inching up 0.5 percent year-over-year...