Forwarding, Freight News


Indian shipping – it’s not normal yet, warns Europa

[ October 13, 2026   //   ]

Europa Air & Sea is urging businesses trading between the UK, UAE and India to plan freight movements carefully. While shipping across the Middle East is beginning to recover from major disruption, shippers face capacity constraints and significantly higher costs, it says.

The forwarding arm of the Europa Group says the conflict in the region severely disrupted established shipping routes and available capacity, creating knock-on effects well beyond the Middle East.

While some shipping activity is beginning to return and alternative routes are helping cargo move again, Europa warns that the market is far from normal. Freight rates from the UAE to the UK remain particularly high, while businesses trading with India are also experiencing changing schedules, constrained capacity and wider regional disruption.

General manager – UK & Ireland, Miles O’Donnell, said: “While shipping markets are beginning to reopen following the disruption caused by the conflict, businesses should not assume conditions have returned to normal.

“Capacity constraints, schedule changes and elevated freight rates, particularly between the UK and UAE, continue to impact supply chains, with knock-on effects also being felt in India.  Disruption in one part of an international shipping network very quickly creates consequences elsewhere.

“Our advice to businesses in the UK, UAE and India is simple: engage with your freight partner early, understand available capacity and build greater flexibility into supply-chain planning before cargo becomes urgent.”

The UK-India trade agreement came into force in July this year, has created opportunities and recent reports show the value of goods traded between the two countries reached £17.3 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2026, of which £6.3 billion was the export of goods from the UK to India

Miles O’Donnell added: “India’s export profile is increasingly weighted towards high-value and time-sensitive goods.  As manufacturing scales and new trade agreements open routes to market, these sectors will need capacity, specialist handling and customs expertise. But the current disruption also demonstrates why businesses cannot look at an individual trade lane in isolation.

“The UK, India and the UAE are connected into much wider international networks. What happens in the Gulf can affect available capacity, costs and schedules for businesses thousands of miles away.”

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