{"id":15993,"date":"2025-11-21T17:21:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T16:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.airtimecritical.com\/?p=15993"},"modified":"2025-11-21T17:21:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T16:21:05","slug":"thanksgiving-2025-logistics-challenges-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.airtimecritical.com\/en\/thanksgiving-2025-logistics-challenges-us","title":{"rendered":"Thanksgiving: Prepare for U.S. logistics slowdowns"},"content":{"rendered":"

How Thanksgiving 2025 and Black Friday disrupt global air freight<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The Thanksgiving holiday<\/strong> in the United States falls on Thursday, November 27, 2025<\/strong>, and will once again have a significant impact on air freight operations, customs clearance, and general cargo flows within the USA and internationally. <\/span>
\nBut did you know that Black Friday<\/strong> in the U.S. also affects air freight departing from China<\/strong> and wider Asia? The peak of e-commerce exports ahead of U.S. retail sales absorbs a large share of global cargo capacity \u2014 often before industrial shippers even realise it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Holiday closures and logistics impact<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Most companies, freight forwarders, and U.S. Customs offices will close on Thanksgiving Day (Nov 27)<\/strong> and the Friday after (Nov 28)<\/strong>, leading to reduced processing, slower responses, and shipment backlogs extending into the following week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Passenger air traffic will also surge on Wednesday, Nov 26, and Sunday, Nov 30<\/strong>, among the busiest travel days of the year. This reduces the space available for general cargo loaded in passenger aircraft bellies, increasing the risk of flight delays, cancellations, and missed connections.<\/span><\/p>\n

General cargo logistics processes slow down<\/strong> \u2014 but premium emergency solutions<\/strong> such as On Board Courier (OBC)<\/strong> <\/a><\/span>and Next Flight Out (NFO)<\/strong><\/a> <\/span>continue operating, allowing time-critical cargo to move faster than standard freight options during this period.<\/span><\/p>\n

Black Friday air cargo surge from China and Asia<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Every year, the Black Friday retail season<\/strong> drives exceptionally high demand for air freight between China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the USA<\/strong>. Consumer goods fill much of the available capacity, pushing freight rates upward and limiting options for industrial cargo<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Airlines also reposition wide-body aircraft onto high-demand e-commerce routes, leaving some onward connections operated by smaller narrow-body aircraft with limited cargo hold capacity. This creates operational challenges for supply chain and logistics planners attempting to maintain logistics flows.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key dates and expected logistics effects<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Event<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nDate<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nExpected Impact<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Thanksgiving Day (USA)<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nThursday, 27 November 2025<\/span><\/td>\nMajor closures \u2013 no regular customs or courier operations<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Day after Thanksgiving<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nFriday, 28 November 2025<\/span><\/td>\nContinued closures and shipment backlogs<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peak travel days<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nWednesday, 26 & Sunday, 30 November<\/span><\/td>\nReduced air cargo capacity, possible delays<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Black Friday shipping season<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nMid\u2013Late November<\/span><\/td>\nHigh cargo demand from Asia, increased freight prices<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

How to mitigate logistics slowdowns?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n