Freight operators in Georgia have reported a downturn in air cargo volumes, even as the overall logistics sector closed 2025 with solid growth. Industry representatives say that the expansion was largely driven by road and rail transport while air freight continued to weaken.
Giorgi Zumbadze, Managing Partner at SKYLOG, told BM.GE that the decline in air cargo is linked to changes in the operations of the Chinese e-commerce platform TEMU. He stated that the earlier surge in demand for charter flights, often referred to as the ‘TEMU effect’, has largely faded as the company now manages its logistics independently through Chinese operators.
Zumbadze noted that 2025 was a challenging year for air freight not only in Georgia but globally, with volumes falling worldwide. In contrast, other transport segments performed strongly. Road transportation recorded growth of around 100% while rail and maritime shipments also increased, resulting in a significant rise in total cargo volumes compared to 2024.
He explained that TEMU now delivers parcels to destination countries, including Georgia and Armenia, via Chinese logistics agents. These shipments are transported directly on aircraft chartered by Chinese operators, sometimes using Georgian-registered planes, but under Chinese control. As a result, Georgian freight companies have been largely excluded from this flow of air cargo.
Despite the overall increase in cargo entering the country, Zumbadze stressed that Georgian airlines and logistics firms should not expect a meaningful recovery in air freight activity in 2026 as the structural shift in e-commerce logistics appears to be permanent.
