Air Cargo & the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Air cargo is a key driver towards the achievement of United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Air cargo plays a role as a trade facilitator for small island developing states (SIDS), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and least developed countries (LDCs), offering an opportunity to link remote markets and to connect them across continents as well as to the global supply chain.

ICAO continues to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through close collaboration with global stakeholders. By providing data on passenger and freight volumes, as outlined in SDG indicator 9.1.2, ICAO supports the development of resilient and sustainable transport infrastructure, fostering economic growth, trade facilitation, and enhanced global connectivity.

Widely acknowledged are the tangible benefits of international trade, facilitated by air cargo, in reducing poverty, as well as in the informal economy, where many work low-wage jobs with tenuous direct links to trade, yet without coverage by social security. Moreover, in many such cases people work without a written contract and the basic protections it affords.    According to both the World Trade Organization and the World Bank, trade contributes directly to poverty reduction by opening new employment opportunities. For example, international trade benefits agricultural producers by expanding export sectors and by bringing about structural changes in the economy that increase employment of low-skilled, poor workers in the informal sector. Trade also provides better access to external markets for the goods that the poor produce.

_{Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).}

Air cargo has been part of the multimodal logistics chain that facilitates integration of the global economy. By increasing the facilitation of both international trade and air cargo specifically, trade costs may decrease and, therefore, the competitiveness of the goods and services produced by these kinds of economies may increase. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vital role of air cargo as, in many cases, the only—and certainly the fastest and most reliable—means of delivering urgent humanitarian aid. During emergencies such as natural disasters, famine, and conflict, air cargo serves as a critical lifeline, ensuring access to essential medical and relief supplies, especially for remote communities. ICAO remains committed to analyzing the economic significance of air cargo and its contribution to global trade facilitation.

Within this objective, ICAO developed case studies on the air cargo contribution to different economies. More such studies might become available in the future.

Dominican Republic