Air cargo operations in the Mumbai region are facing disruption as airlines contend with capacity constraints at Mumbai’s existing airport and operational challenges during the early stages of Navi Mumbai International Airport’s (NMIA) cargo ramp-up.
Both airports are managed by the Adani Group. With dedicated freighter slots at Mumbai airport suspended until June next year because of airside infrastructure upgrades, airlines and cargo stakeholders have been encouraged to shift operations to NMIA.
The new airport has reported that 13 freighter services have already been committed as its cargo facilities become operational. However, industry sources have flagged congestion and delays at both airports, raising concerns over the reliability of Mumbai’s air freight supply chain.
Lufthansa Cargo suspended its freighter operations into Mumbai from September 20, affecting its usual six weekly services. The German carrier is expected to restart freighter operations from NMIA on October 1.
Sources have also indicated that other major cargo operators, including Emirates SkyCargo, have shifted scheduled Mumbai services to alternative airports, particularly Bengaluru, amid concerns over operational continuity.
The situation has surprised some industry stakeholders because the transition between the two airports had been planned in advance under common management.
Mumbai-based air cargo veteran Joy John told The Loadstar: “The pertinent question is why there is congestion at Mumbai when most freighters have moved out, and why there are bottlenecks at NMIA when the transition was well equipped?”
Industry sources have attributed some of the difficulties to insufficient preparation for the cargo transition, particularly ahead of the seasonal rise in shipments associated with festival demand during the third quarter.
NMIA’s first-phase cargo infrastructure includes around 360,000 sq ft for domestic cargo and 255,000 sq ft for international cargo. The facility was estimated to have an initial annual handling capacity of approximately 800,000 tonnes, with capacity planned to expand substantially in subsequent phases.
However, reports of long truck queues at NMIA, particularly for vehicles carrying cargo from outside the Mumbai region, have added to concerns.
“The Mumbai congestion is a symptom of a rapidly growing and increasingly complex air cargo ecosystem,” said Vineet Malhotra, co-founder and director of Kale Logistics Solutions.
“The answer is not simply more infrastructure and better co-ordination of the infrastructure we already have.”
He said better real-time visibility could help stakeholders identify bottlenecks before they develop into severe queues.
Turkish Cargo is reportedly the only carrier continuing regular freighter operations from the existing Mumbai airport as the transition progresses.
Source: The Load Star
