Air Freight Could Become a Key Lever for Tunisia’s Economic Resilience, Not Just a Complementary Transport Activity
An analysis released by the Association of Tunisian Economists (ASECTU) highlights the untapped potential of the sector and the infrastructural and organisational constraints that still hold it back.
Overview
The recent note “Unleashing the Power of Air Freight: A Strategic Lever for Resilience, Competitiveness and African Integration”, authored by economists Yamina Jlaiel and Hanene Ben Ouada Jamoussi, argues that “the Tunisian economy today faces an increasingly evident structural paradox: while its integration into global value chains is essential for competitiveness, growth and resilience to external shocks, one of its main drivers of economic performance – logistics, and more specifically air logistics – remains insufficiently developed and undervalued.”
The authors warn that this gap creates a persistent mismatch between Tunisia’s geostrategic potential and its actual ability to capture, transform and secure high‑value‑added flows. In a world where the speed of trade, supply‑chain reliability and the capacity to absorb exogenous disruptions are now core determinants of competitiveness, any logistical delay, chain rupture or loss of reliability can lead to:
- Erosion of market share
- Reduced attractiveness for productive investment
- Weakening of Tunisia’s international positioning
Historical Roots of the Issue
According to ASECTU, the trajectory of Tunisian air transport is largely historical. The sector was primarily built around a dominant objective: supporting mass tourism. This focus shaped the design of airports, services and investments to serve passenger traffic, relegating air freight to a secondary, complementary activity without dedicated planning or strategy.
“This trajectory limited the emergence of a truly integrated cargo ecosystem. Airport infrastructure, operational procedures, operators’ business models and coordination mechanisms were primarily geared toward passenger mobility, pushing air logistics to a secondary role. As global value chains grew more complex and value shifted toward segments demanding speed, reliability and traceability, the gap widened.”
Air Freight: A Shock‑Resistant Segment
Even though air freight accounts for only a marginal share of Tunisia’s total commercial volumes, it concentrates a significant portion of the value of those flows. It delivers high added‑value, supports strategic exports, reinforces supply‑chain reliability and creates jobs—maintaining a tight, dynamic link with economic growth.
Econometric analysis covering 1990‑2021 shows that air freight is the most resilient transport mode to major shocks, with a rapid rebound capacity, unlike passenger transport, which proved more vulnerable.
In the context of re‑configuring global value chains and intensified logistics competition, air freight can become a major asset for Tunisia’s economic resilience, external competitiveness and regional integration.
Why the Potential Remains Under‑Utilised
The constraints are not due to a lack of demand, geographic disadvantages, or economic shortcomings. Instead, they stem from a bundle of infrastructural, organisational, institutional and territorial determinants, including:
- Insufficient airport infrastructure for cargo
- Fragmented stakeholder coordination
- Limited digitalisation of logistics processes
- Absence of an integrated strategic vision
Recommendations for Unlocking Air Freight’s Potential
The note proposes that the development of air freight should focus on:
- Functional specialization of airport platforms – turning airports into dedicated cargo hubs.
- Transition to hybrid cargo models – combining traditional freight with e‑commerce and perishable‑goods services.
- Stronger integration with pan‑African logistics dynamics – aligning Tunisia’s cargo network with continental trade corridors.
These steps are envisioned as a cross‑cutting lever of the 2026‑2030 Development Plan. The upcoming Development Plan offers a prime analytical window to assess how air freight can reinforce the coherence and effectiveness of existing policy orientations—without overturning the overall development model. The goal is not to replace one sectoral policy with another, but to evaluate how air freight can amplify the impact of current strategies.
Takeaway
Air freight holds a strategic lever for Tunisia to boost its economic resilience, sharpen its global competitiveness, and deepen African integration. Realising this lever will require targeted infrastructure upgrades, organisational reforms, digital transformation, and a unified strategic framework embedded within the nation’s 2026‑2030 development roadmap.
