German air freight industry grows despite personnel shortage

The air freight industry in Germany shows a positive development in the fourth quarter of 2025, as reported by the Association of Air Cargo Handlers in Germany (VACAD). The member companies of the association handled a total of 497,053 tons of air freight during this period. This represents an increase of 4.1% compared to the third quarter of 2025 and 7.1% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. Throughout the year 2025, approximately 1.9 million tons of freight were processed, which means an increase of more than 75,000 tons compared to the previous year.

Stagnating Employee Numbers Despite Growing Throughput

Despite the increase in throughput volumes, the number of employees in the industry remains stagnant. In the fourth quarter of 2025, VACAD members employed 3,241 staff, which is barely changed compared to the third quarter of 2025 (3,239 employees) and significantly below the previous year’s figure of 3,443 employees. This development raises questions about the personnel situation in the air freight industry, as the rising throughput figures do not correspond with a similar increase in employee numbers.

Claus Wagner, Chairman of VACAD, commented on the challenges in recruitment: “Recruitment for air freight handlers continues to be difficult. This is still due in part to the political framework conditions, which cause extremely long waiting times for security checks.” He emphasized that there have recently been positive signals from politics indicating that these issues are to be addressed. Wagner looks optimistically at the strategy paper for air traffic announced for spring.

Founded in 2007 and based in Frankfurt am Main, VACAD represents 15 members who operate at nearly all commercial airports in Germany. The association aims to promote communication with ministries, authorities, and other organizations, as well as to support the exchange of experiences and ideas within the industry.

www.vacad.org