Central Asia may be approaching a shortage of suitable air-cargo capacity as mining, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing projects generate heavier, oversized and time-critical shipments. Chapman Freeborn is warning that cargo such as 70-tonne transformers or 16-metre pipes may require Boeing 747F or 777F freighters, Antonov An-124s, specialised handling equipment, runway capability and advance regulatory approvals beyond what scheduled networks can provide.
The assessment, presented by Gerhard Coetzee, Chapman Freeborn’s vice-president of cargo for IMEA, comes as freight demand across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan expands alongside stronger links with China and Europe. Infrastructure investment in the region is estimated at $33 billion annually, while trade through the Middle Corridor could potentially triple by 2030.
The issue is not necessarily a shortfall in total aircraft capacity. Regional air-cargo volumes more than quadrupled between 2023 and 2025 to 335,700 tonnes, while available fleet capacity grew by an average 7.7% annually between 2015 and 2025. The concern is whether the right aircraft can reach the right airport at the required time, with permits, handling facilities and winter-weather planning in place.
Charter operations could complement scheduled services by carrying cargo that exceeds network limits in weight, dimensions, timing or destination. In some cases, shipments could be divided between aircraft types, reserving dedicated charter capacity for the oversized or otherwise impractical portion. Kazakhstan is also working with ICAO on a civil-aviation master plan through 2050 that includes expanded cargo infrastructure; its airports handled 136,500 tonnes of cargo in the first nine months of 2026.