New white paper: How stronger air cargo networks could unlock multi-billion dollar opportunities and healthcare access in sub-Saharan Africa

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A white paper published today by Pharma.Aero and TIACA (The International Air Cargo Association) reveal that structural gaps in global air cargo capacity allocation are constraining one of the world’s fastest-growing regions and limiting access to essential medicines for hundreds of millions of people.

The Food and Farm for Health White Paper presents compelling evidence that the current distribution of airfreight capacity – where Sub-Saharan Africa receives just 2% of global cargo availability – not only restricts pharmaceutical accessibility, but also suppresses the region’s ability to scale high-value agricultural exports.

Drawing on a 10-year trends analysis, extensive market research, and an economic impact study, the white paper positions Africa as a critical yet underserved node in global trade. It demonstrates that expanding bidirectional air cargo flows could unlock significant economic gains, strengthen supply chain resilience, and help address persistent healthcare disparities.

Key findings
The study identifies several structural issues and opportunities for rapid improvement:

  • Severe underallocation of cargo capacity despite exponential population growth and increasing demand for medicines and temperature-sensitive healthcare products.

  • High dependency on airfreight for healthcare, with up to 90% of critical pharmaceuticals, including vaccines and lifesaving therapies, arriving by air.

  • Stagnating perishables exports from Africa, in contrast with strong growth from Asia and Latin America, are limiting job creation and foreign-exchange earnings.

  • Predictable seasonal surges in vaccine needs and disease outbreaks (malaria, cholera, influenza), underscoring the need for more agile and reliable uplift.

  • Intensifying competition from China and India, which are rapidly expanding their trade influence by investing in African logistics gateways.

  • A strategic opening for the air cargo industry to generate economic value while advancing public health outcomes, through optimised inbound pharma and outbound perishables flows.

A wake-up call for the industry to reconfigure capacity and strategy
Frank Van Gelder, Secretary General of Pharma.Aero and expert coordinator of the project, emphasises the implications of the findings: “When we launched the Food and Farm for Health project, our aim was to understand the true power the air cargo industry could bring to both economic development and healthcare accessibility. Very quickly, our research pointed to Sub-Saharan Africa, where only two percent of global air cargo capacity is allocated. This imbalance limits access to essential medicines in a region where demand is accelerating, and it equally limits the continent’s ability to scale agricultural exports.

By offering more air cargo capacity, we unlock a dual opportunity: helping Africa grow stronger local economies and ensuring healthcare products reach the populations that need them most. Today, other global players, particularly China and India, are already investing heavily in these trade lanes. If we fail to act, we risk missing not only an economic opportunity, but also the chance to meaningfully support the growth and health resilience of one of the world’s most dynamic regions”, added Van Gelder.

Glyn Hughes, Director General of The International Air Cargo Association, frames the white paper’s implications in broader operational terms: “This white paper is a wake-up call. Sub-Saharan Africa receives just 2% of global air cargo capacity, yet depends on airfreight for the majority of its essential medicines and for moving high-value agricultural products to world markets. These limitations are not just operational; they impact lives, livelihoods, and long-term development. Strengthening air cargo links between Europe and Africa is a clear opportunity to improve healthcare access, boost rural incomes, and build more resilient supply chains. But we can only achieve this through coordinated, cross-industry action. The time to act is now.”

The Food and Farm for Health project is a joint initiative of Pharma.Aero and TIACA, in cooperation with CCA (The Cool Chain Association), HLA (The Humanitarian Logistics Association), and Fairmiles. Over the past months, the project investigated how aligning pharmaceutical imports with perishables exports can expand access to essential medicines and strengthen export-driven economic development.

A strategic resource for decision-makers
The white paper offers actionable recommendations for:

  • Airlines and airports are developing capacity strategies for emerging markets

  • Freight forwarders tailoring trade-lane solutions to health-critical cargo

  • Pharma companies seeking more resilient supply chains

  • Governments and economic agencies are designing industrial and health policies

The White Paper of the Food and Farm for Health Project is available here.