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India's air cargo sector shifted into high gear, reaching a record 3.72 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the 2024-25 fiscal year, emerging as a vital driver of the country's logistics and international trade ecosystem, according to official source.
This 47% surge over the last decade marks India's transformation into a global logistics heavyweight, fueled by aggressive infrastructure expansion and strategic policy shifts. The leap from 2.53 MMT in 2014-15 to the current 3.72 MMT highlights a decade of rapid scaling. The momentum shows no signs of slowing; as of December 2025, the current fiscal year (2025-26) has already recorded 2.98 MMT, putting India on track for another record-breaking year. Notably, cargo operations are now carried out at 74 airports across the country. The government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are actively augmenting warehousing capacity and modernising infrastructure. Moreover, massive new facilities are currently under development at the upcoming Jewar (Noida) and Navi Mumbai international airports, while AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company (AAICLAS) is modernising terminals at six strategic locations: Srinagar, Dehradun in North India; Dibrugarh, Dimapur in East and Northeast; Vijayawada in South India and Jodhpur in West India. One of the most significant hurdles for Tier-II and Tier-III airports has been the high cost of maintaining customs staff. To tackle this, the government has introduced a targeted financial intervention for the 2024-25 to 2026-27 period. The government will now reimburse the costs of deploying customs personnel at 27 airports, including 15 dedicated cargo terminals. This move is designed to make smaller facilities financially viable, ensuring that even regional hubs can compete on a global scale. By lowering the barrier to entry for international trade in smaller cities, India is positioning itself as a decentralised, highly efficient regional cargo hub. With enhanced warehousing, modernised terminals, and supportive fiscal policies, India's air cargo sector is no longer just "taking off," it's cruising at a record-breaking altitude. (ANI)
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