New data for 2026 indicates that Belgium and Hungary have emerged as Europe's dominant gateways for e-commerce air imports. This trend underscores the critical role of airports such as Liège (Belgium) and Budapest (Hungary) in facilitating the flow of cross-border parcels. For Belgium, e-commerce cargo accounts for 56% of its total air imports, demonstrating a strong specialization in this sector. Poland also features in the top ten, with 22% of its air imports attributed to e-commerce.
For freight forwarders and operations managers, this concentration of e-commerce air imports in Belgium and Hungary signifies potential congestion points and specialized handling requirements at these key airports. Understanding these primary hubs is crucial for optimizing routing, managing transit times, and anticipating capacity fluctuations for e-commerce shipments destined for the European market. Forwarders should consider direct connections and established networks through these countries to ensure efficient and reliable delivery.
