Airfreight forwarders and shippers using Buenos Aires' Ezeiza Airport are preparing for a challenging three weeks as the facility undergoes a major infrastructure upgrade. From 25 October to 11 November, the main runway will be shortened from 3,300 metres to 1,850 metres while construction takes place on an intersection with a secondary runway. This will prevent most widebody aircraft from taking off at full payload, prompting several carriers to cancel or adjust their services.

Lufthansa has suspended flights between Buenos Aires and Frankfurt, and Swiss will halt its Zurich-Buenos Aires route. US carriers American, Delta, and United, along with Air Canada, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Air France-KLM, British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and China Eastern, are not selling tickets for the period. Some airlines are adding fuel stops: Aerolineas Argentinas will stop in Rio on flights to Rome and Madrid, while Iberia will route its return to Madrid via Montevideo.

Forwarders are seeking alternatives, but options are limited. Rosario, which has seen growth in e-commerce airfreight, lacks the equipment and capacity to handle diverted widebody freight. Montevideo is hampered by the lack of truck-carrying ferries to Buenos Aires. The situation is compounded by concerns that the national civil aviation administration has not yet received funding for essential equipment and oversight tools for the construction period, raising safety and coordination risks.

The project, part of a

00m investment, also includes a new apron for narrowbody aircraft, taxiway paving, a 12,000 sq metre courier terminal, and an expansion of the perishables export facility, increasing temperature-controlled space from 4,500 to nearly 7,000 sq metres. IATA's vice president for the Americas, Peter Cerdá, noted that cargo infrastructure development has lagged behind cargo throughput growth at many Latin American airports, with operators prioritizing passenger projects. He called for reducing operational obstacles to strengthen the region's competitive position.

Meanwhile, ocean freight from South America to North America has seen schedule reliability decline for the first time this year, with on-time performance dropping to 75.4% in August. Average delays for vessels increased to 1.3 days, and for late vessels to 5.22 days. Despite this, Maersk has launched a new cold chain service for Chilean grapes, offering fumigation at the port of Wilmington before inland delivery, promising faster access and lower costs for importers. As these disruptions unfold, shippers and customs brokers handling import and export documentation should monitor service changes and plan for potential delays at key gateways like the shanghai port and other major hubs.