The World Economic Forum’s newly released Executive Opinion Survey, published in collaboration with Marsh McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, reveals the top risks facing UK businesses in 2025.
According to the survey, UK executives identified the top five risks as:
Economic downturn
Insufficient public services and social protections
Misinformation and disinformation
Talent and/or labour shortages
Lack of economic opportunity or unemployment
While these risks are broad, they strike at the heart of challenges facing the air cargo sector, which remains a critical part of the UK’s trade and logistics network.
An economic slowdown could translate directly into reduced cargo volumes. Weaker consumer demand, cautious corporate spending, and disruption to supply chains typically lead to lower freight bookings, especially on key trade lanes.
“UK businesses are navigating an increasingly complex landscape,” said James Crask, Head of Multinational Clients Advisory at Marsh. “Gaps in infrastructure and labour, combined with economic risk, could undermine the foundations on which businesses — including air logistics — rely to thrive.”
The UK’s air cargo growth ambitions rely on strong transport infrastructure, digitised customs systems, and a skilled workforce. But with insufficient public investment cited as the second-highest national risk, stakeholders across air logistics may continue to feel the squeeze from underfunded airport facilities, slow regulatory modernisation, and workforce bottlenecks.
“Business leaders are looking for a stable financial climate and confidence they can source the talent they need to succeed,” added Drazen Jaksic, CEO of Zurich UK. That concern hits close to home for handlers, freight forwarders, and airlines alike, all of whom report ongoing labour shortages in ground handling, security, and operations.
The rise of misinformation and disinformation — now ranked a top-three concern – also has consequences for air cargo. As operations become more digitised and automated, false information or cyber manipulation could compromise cargo tracking, customs clearance, or even airworthiness records. The potential misuse of AI tools in logistics makes “a human in the loop” approach essential, Jaksic noted.
The post Is the UK economy putting air cargo at risk? appeared first on Air Cargo Week.
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Author: Anastasiya Simsek
