The disruption of major air cargo corridors between Asia and Europe following the Middle East crisis is prompting logistics companies to reconsider long-distance road transport as an alternative mode of freight movement.
According to Beata Užienė, head of intercontinental solutions at Lithuanian transport company Girteka, the current instability is driving shippers and freight forwarders to explore new multimodal solutions.
Several traditional air cargo routes linking Asia with Europe are currently unavailable or heavily rerouted, resulting in longer flight paths and increasing uncertainty around delivery schedules.
For companies moving time-sensitive cargo, these disruptions have become a major operational challenge.
As a result, interest is growing in road transport corridors connecting China and Europe, which have gradually matured in recent years as an alternative to both rail and maritime transport.
Užienė explained that trucking routes through Central Asia can offer door-to-door transit times between 14 and 18 days, placing them between air and rail in terms of speed.
One of the advantages of road transport is that cargo typically remains on the same vehicle throughout the journey, offering greater flexibility and reducing handling points.
These corridors connect major Chinese manufacturing centres such as Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Qingdao and Chengdu with key European markets including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Poland and the Benelux region.
Some logistics providers are even extending these road routes to Vietnam and Cambodia, creating new connections between Southeast Asia and Europe.
While air freight will remain essential for the fastest deliveries, the current crisis highlights the growing importance of modal diversification and supply chain flexibility.
