The activity of express air couriers remains important for the Itlian economy and a key driver of the internationalisation of the businesses. This is according to a macroeconomic report prepared by the Centro di ricerca Green dell’Università Bocconi (Green Research Centre of Bocconi University) for Aicai (Associazione Italiana Corrieri Aerei Internazionali, Italian Association of International Air Couriers), presented in Rome on 10 June 2026. According to the researchers, the activities carried out in 2024 by the association’s three founding members -- DHL Express Italy, FedEx and UPS - generated an overall impact on national output of more than €10.1 billion, contributed almost €3.6 billion to Italian GDP and supported more than 44,000 jobs through direct, indirect and induced effects.
The Green-Aicai report also quantifies the role of couriers as enablers of exports. In 2024, Aicai members handled €24.4 billion of air exports, equivalent to 27.8% of all Italian exports transported by air. These are mainly high value-added goods, including precision engineering products, textiles and fashion items, quality food products, and pharmaceutical and medical goods. The door-to-door model adopted by the members, which ensures traceability and direct management of customs procedures to 220 countries, serves more than 120,000 Italian companies, most of them small and medium-sized enterprises.
The link between international openness and economic growth emerges clearly from the historical comparison. Italy, the world’s sixth-largest exporter of goods, saw goods exports rise to 26.9% of GDP in 2024. In the post-pandemic period between 2019 and 2024, the country’s propensity to export to non-EU markets increased markedly, with these destinations’ share of total Italian exports rising from 41% to 48%.
The Leontief input-output analysis used by the researchers highlights significant multipliers for the national economy. Every €100 of revenue generated by Aicai members produces a further €165 elsewhere in the Italian economy, giving an output multiplier of 2.65. In terms of value added, every €100 created directly by Aicai companies generates another €202 across the national economy, producing a multiplier of 3.02. On employment, every 100 direct hires support a further 273 jobs in the supply chain, giving a multiplier of 3.73. The tax revenue generated for the state by these activities is estimated at €1.53 billion in 2024 alone.
The report shows that in recent years Aicai members have chosen to bring workers at their cargo hubs in-house, bucking the widespread outsourcing trend in logistics. Between 2019 and 2024, direct employment rose by 55.4%, from 7,600 to 11,808 employees, while the members’ combined turnover increased by 22.4% over the same period. Alongside the direct supply chain dedicated to Aicai operations, which employs a further 14,648 workers among road hauliers and third-party logistics operators, this points to an expanding corporate structure.
Volume data confirm the same trend. Total shipments handled by the members rose from 123.6 million in 2019 to 145.7 million in 2024, including 78.1 million international shipments, representing growth of 31.3% over the period. In the 2024 breakdown, export shipments accounted for 46.4% of the total volume handled, compared with 22% for imports and 31.6% for domestic shipments. On cross-border flows, exports accounted for 59%, with 45.8 million outbound shipments against 31.8 million inbound shipments.
A breakdown of traffic data by geographical area shows growth towards the United States, where outbound shipments rose from 2.53 million in 2020 to 5.15 million in 2024, an increase of 103%, with exports making up 84.3% of bilateral flows. By contrast, the trend for China points in the opposite direction, with imports far exceeding exports, at 753,477 inbound shipments against 336,276 outbound shipments in 2024. The Indian market, meanwhile, appears more balanced and is growing in both directions, with inbound shipments up 47% and outbound shipments up 34% between 2020 and 2024, according to the Green-Aicai report.
Alessandro Lega, president of Aicai, said that "in an international context marked by continuous uncertainty and geopolitical transformation, the flexibility of our global networks represents a fundamental competitive advantage for Italian businesses, particularly for SMEs, which account for more than 90% of our companies. The figures in this study show that we do not simply offer shipments, but the strategic infrastructure that connects Made in Italy to 99% of global GDP. To maintain this central role, our members’ commitment to innovation and environmental sustainability is total. We offer this research as a platform to consolidate a constructive dialogue with policymakers and institutional stakeholders: by working together on infrastructure and urban service planning, we can ensure that air logistics continues to support the country’s prosperity and help Italian excellence take flight around the world."
A.M.B.
