Pharmaceutical shipments flown by LATAM Cargo between Europe and Brazil rose approximately 150% from January to July versus the same period a year earlier, propelled by a sharp increase in GLP-1 receptor agonist medications used to treat type 2 diabetes.

The airline moved nearly 32,000 tonnes of cargo between the two markets during the seven-month window, a 27% increase compared with the first seven months of 2025. GLP-1-based medicines accounted for roughly 15% of that total volume, a mix that would have been unthinkable on the lane a few years ago and that signals a structural shift in pharma cold-chain demand from South America.

Why are GLP-1 drugs reshaping Europe-Brazil airfreight?

Demand for injectable GLP-1 therapies such as semaglutide and tirzepatide has outpaced manufacturing capacity globally, pushing distributors to source active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished doses from European plants and move them by air into Latin America's largest consumer market. Brazil's diabetic population, combined with growing off-label demand for weight-loss indications, has made São Paulo and Viracopos the primary gateways.

Roughly 75% of LATAM Cargo's Europe-Brazil volume remains general and consolidated freight — automation products, mining machinery, textiles and commodities. But pharma's share is growing fast enough to redraw the carrier's network planning.

"The growth in pharmaceutical transport demonstrates how demand for specialized logistics solutions is gaining prominence between Europe and Brazil," said Jorge Carretero, cargo sales manager Europe at LATAM Airlines Group. "Our priority is to support this evolution through a safe, efficient operation equipped for the specific requirements of each cargo type."

Carretero added: "At the same time, the 27% growth in total volume reinforces the importance of connectivity between both markets and our network's capacity to serve diverse economic sectors."

Which routes are carrying the surge?

Germany, Belgium, Spain and Italy were the leading origin countries, followed by the Netherlands and France. On the passenger-belly side, the Lisbon–São Paulo, Madrid–São Paulo and Frankfurt–São Paulo services moved the bulk of the volumes.

Freighter operations concentrated on Frankfurt–Viracopos and Brussels–Viracopos, the latter connecting Belgium's pharma hub to Brazil's dedicated cargo gateway. New passenger links from Brussels and Amsterdam to São Paulo have added belly capacity to the network in 2026, while a new freighter service between Brussels and São José dos Campos — a first for the carrier on that lane — has opened a third routing option for temperature-controlled and time-sensitive European exports.

What does the network expansion mean for shippers and forwarders?

For European pharma exporters, the added capacity reduces the perennial headache of scrambling for cool-chain uplift into Brazil during peak diabetes-drug runs. Forwarders gain three more weekly widebody options into São Paulo from major manufacturing countries, plus a dedicated freighter link into São José dos Campos that bypasses congestion at Guarulhos.

The volume mix also pressures carriers to maintain IATA CEIV-Pharma-certified handling at origin stations. LATAM Cargo recently became the first Americas airline to integrate IATA's DG AutoCheck digital platform for dangerous goods documentation — a step that simplifies acceptance of solvent-based and biologics shipments alongside the GLP-1 ambient and refrigerated flows.

For LATAM, the 27% tonnage gain on a transatlantic pharma corridor is a defensive win: it locks in yield above general-cargo averages and raises the strategic value of its Brussels and Frankfurt freighter rotations as rivals DHL, Kuehne+Nagel's owned capacity and TAP Air Cargo vie for the same molecules.

If GLP-1 demand continues to outpace local Brazilian production and Brazilian regulators keep clearing imports without delay, the lane's 15% pharma share is likely to climb further into 2026, pulling more dedicated capacity onto the Frankfurt and Brussels freighter networks.