People's Daily Online Japanese Edition 16 July 2026 09:42

The wave of artificial intelligence (AI) is sweeping the world, boosting industries in computing power, chips and terminal hardware, as well as energising the air cargo transport industry, turning it into a new growth sector.

July has traditionally been a quiet season for air cargo, but this year, with the acceleration of AI computing power construction and the surge in exports of precision hardware, a large number of high-value AI devices have been shipped overseas by air, creating a boom despite the usual slow period and increasing transport volumes.

Zhao Xu, Vice President of Shenzhen Jinsheng Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., said, "This year, our exports of high-speed SSDs for AIPC have surged by about 180% compared to last year. Air freight costs three times more than sea freight, but to seize opportunities in overseas AI markets and ensure delivery times, we prioritise air transport. Over 90% of our AI storage products are flown by air."

Jin Rui, Vice President of Shenzhen Baiwei International Technology Logistics Group (in charge of air transport), stated, "Since the second half of last year (July-December), orders for AI-related logistics have been steadily increasing. Entering 2026, we have hit an explosive growth period, with AI-related orders in just six months surpassing last year's total."

According to data, AI-related cargo only accounted for 7% of total air cargo volume in 2025, but by value, it made up over 50% of global air cargo.(Edited by KS)

"People's Daily Online Japanese Edition" 16 July 2026