Insights from Magma Aviation UAE's Audrone Keinyte on Future Market Trends

Audrone Keinyte, the head of Magma Aviation UAE, recently shared her thoughts on the dynamic air cargo sector and how Magma is gearing up for ongoing success in a rapidly changing global surroundings.

The evolving air cargo industry landscape

Keinytė reflected on how the air cargo market has transformed as the pandemic. She pointed out that external influences like geopolitical tensions and changes in capacity have caused notable fluctuations. “The pandemic created a spike in demand as passenger flights were grounded, leading to many airlines converting their passenger planes into freighters—especially smaller models,” she noted.

Fast forward five years post-pandemic, and while global travel is bouncing back and bellyhold capacity is returning, this shift has affected freighter demand. Nevertheless, the cargo sector continues to show positive growth.

“Recent statistics indicate that by 2024, air cargo demand will have risen by 11.5% compared to 2023 with a 7.5% increase in capacity,” Keinytė mentioned. “Despite more narrow-body freighters entering service, there’s still a notable shortage of wide-body aircraft due to rising e-commerce needs.”

Magma’s approach for future growth

Magma Aviation is adapting by strategically enhancing its geographical presence at key global air freight hubs.

The company has built its reputation on wide-body operations like the Boeing 747 but is now diversifying its fleet with narrow-body freighters too. They are also considering adding Boeing 777s among othre medium-wide-body options as part of their vision to become a top-tier player in global air freight.

A glance at what’s next: 2025 and beyond

Keenly looking ahead, Keinytė anticipates moderate growth for 2025—projecting around a 5% increase in demand despite potential short-term challenges from geopolitical issues or economic shifts. “We’re focused on long-term strategies that involve expanding both our wide- and narrow-body fleets while bolstering our commercial reach,” she added.

Part of this plan includes forging stronger partnerships with General Sales Agents (GSAs) along with an emphasis on operational excellence across all levels of service delivery.” We’re not just increasing our fleet size; we’re committed to building valuable relationships throughout our supply chain,” she concluded.