Gulf carriers expand US routes — new belly capacity
Emirates, Etihad and Qatar are pushing US expansions this year, and carriers argue the growth could open alternative belly‑freight corridors even if they don't serve the Caribbean directly. That creates new options for prioritizing urgent, high‑value shipments while ocean lanes remain disrupted.
Etihad announced eight new U.S. and Canada routes for 2026, including Calgary and Charlotte, as part of a record North American expansion. simpleflying.com Qatar Airways expanded U.S. connectivity by adding 18 additional routes via codeshares with Aer Lingus and LEVEL, widening access to U.S. hubs. qatarairways.com Emirates SkyCargo is also planning up to ten Boeing 777 freighter deliveries in 2026 to bolster network lift and product options. aircargoweek.com DHL Global Forwarding’s December 2025 analysis showed passenger‑aircraft belly‑hold now supplies about 66% of global air cargo capacity. logisticsmiddleeast.com CargoTalk reported that passenger bellies carried roughly 55% of international air freight in January 2025, up from 53% in 2023. cargotalkgcc.com Miami International Airport handled nearly 3.5 million tonnes of air cargo in 2025, a 13.6% year‑on‑year increase and its sixth straight record cargo year. news.miami-airport.com MIA accounts for about 70% of Florida’s air cargo and is identified as North America’s primary gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. miamidadetpo.org Industry practitioners note that the rising share of belly capacity lets forwarders prioritize time‑critical, high‑value shipments on passenger services for faster transshipment, a tactic detailed in xpd Global’s priority‑cargo guidance. blog.xpdglobal.com U.S.–Caribbean feeder operators such as IBC Airways hold FAA Part‑135 certifications to collect and deliver inbound airfreight from U.S. gateways into island networks. ibcairways.com With Latin America and Caribbean air cargo volumes up 10.1% YoY in April 2025, forwarders are increasingly routing urgent loads by air rather than slower, disrupted ocean lanes. iata.org
