Pharma.Aero and TIACA have partnered on the Food and Farm for Health project to underscore the economic value and the dual role of air cargo in healthcare access and economic development in low and middle-income countries. Strategically developed in collaboration with CCA (The Cool Chain Association) and HLA (The Humanitarian Logistics Association, the project seeks to optimize air cargo’s potential to deliver life-saving medicines while simultaneously supporting local agricultural economies. Frank Van Gelder, Secretary General of Pharma.Aero said, “The Food and Farm for Health Project is about leveraging air cargo to address two critical needs in low- and middle-income countries: healthcare access and economic empowerment. We, at Pharma.Aero, recognized a critical gap and initiated this project to use air cargo as a dual-purpose tool: flying in life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies while flying out perishable agricultural products—like fruits, vegetables, and flowers—from local farmers to Western markets. By utilising available cargo space on return flights, we create a more cost-effective, efficient trade route. This approach not only ensures faster access to essential medicines and vaccines, but also opens new market opportunities for farmers, boosting local economies and providing better access to international markets”, said Van Gelder. “Air cargo is more than a mode of transport — it’s a critical lifeline for economies and communities across the globe”commented Steven Polmans, Chair of TIACA. “The completion of our Global Market Evolution Analysis marks a major milestone in understanding how perishable goods and pharmaceuticals move, especially in regions where access means everything. From Kenya’s flower exports supporting millions of jobs to India’s seafood sector driving billions in trade, our work confirms that airfreight is a catalyst for opportunity, health, and resilience. As TIACA, we’re …

India and Britain struck a ‘landmark’ trade deal marking progress on lowering and removing tariffs, said UK government in official press release. United Kingdom has secured much-awaited trade deal with India. The two nations’ agreement is “the biggest and most economically significant bilateral trade deal the UK has done since leaving the EU,” the UK Department for Business and Trade said in a press release. As a result of the agreement, it noted, bilateral trade is expected to swell by £25.5 billion ($34.1 billion) per year in the long run. That would be a 60% increase from the 2024 level, based on UK government data. India has agreed to reduce tariffs on a range of UK products, including whisky, medical devices, advanced machinery and lamb. And most of these levies will be removed altogether within a decade, according to the release. In turn, the United Kingdom will lower tariffs on Indian goods, the business and trade department suggested, without providing details. “British shoppers could see cheaper prices and more choice on products including clothes, footwear and food products, including frozen prawns, as (the) UK liberalizes tariffs,” the release said.

Keku Bomi Gazder, MD & CEO, Aviapro Logistic said, “Prime airports like IGI Airport handle nearly 2 million metric tons of cargo annually, and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport faces severe congestion due to surging passenger and cargo traffic. The dual increase leads to severe congestion, characterised by slot limitations impacting approximately 30% of freighters, limited aircraft parking capacity, and airside delays, eventually contributing to direct delay of over 4–6 hours in cargo offloading and a 20-25% increase in freighter turnaround times. Despite ongoing infrastructure upgrades, cargo terminals at key hubs are operating at 85–90% of their peak capacity, leaving little room to accommodate seasonal surges such as e-commerce spikes during Diwali, which can drive volumes up by as much as 40%. High-value, time-sensitive shipments further strain already stretched facilities. Remarkable gaps persist in critical areas, with only around 15% of terminals equipped with adequate temperature-controlled infrastructure for pharmaceutical handling, dedicated e-commerce processing zones remain limited, and automation adoption is low, with just 25% of cargo operations automated, contributing to operational inefficiencies and processing delays.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently commissioned the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala that was completed at an estimated cost of ₹8,867 crore ($1.05 billion). “The Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport in Kerala is a significant advancement in India’s maritime infrastructure,” he wrote on microblogging platform X. Three-quarters of India’s transshipment cargo is presently handled at ports abroad like Singapore, Colombo, Salalah and Dubai, and Indian ports lose up to $200-220 million of potential revenue each year on transshipment handling of cargo originating in or destined for India. The port’s location is the deepest in India and closest to international shipping routes. The port’s capacity in the first phase is 1 million TEUs, with an additional 4.5 million TEUs to be added in subsequent phases.

Gujarat Chief Minister (CM) Bhupendra Patel visited Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) that the state government plans to develop as a semiconductor hub. Patel reviewed the ongoing development work at the Dholera SIR, including the Smart Cityproject, which is being built with world-class infrastructure under the guidance of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. Officials said 95 percent work of the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway has been completed and significant advancement has been achieved in other major infrastructure projects. Infrastructure facilities, including roads, underground facilities and plug-and-play infrastructure, have been completed in Dholera. Essential facilities, such as the water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, common effluent treatment plant and ICT (information and communication technology) infrastructure, along with a 300 MW solar park have been completed. Ongoing projects at Dholera SIR, including the Bhimnath-Dholera freight railway line, a 192-bed hospital, a school up to Class 12, a fire station and residential facilities for investors were also reviewed. The state government is working on developing Dholera Smart City into a ‘Semicon City’. As part of this initiative, a semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem is being developed within the Dholera Smart City, with both national and international semiconductor manufacturing companies being in the process of establishing their units there. Speaking on the occasion, Ambrish Parajiya, Managing Director (MD) of GAP Group, said, “Dholera is poised to emerge as one of the most happening industrial clusters not just in Gujarat but in the entire country, and it was our honor to showcase our project before Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel. With our world-class township project, we are ensuring that the supply of high-quality residential and commercial spaces in Dholera keeps pace with the industrial development taking place in the region.”

The Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) is marking its 40th anniversary with record trade growth between India and the UAE, supported by strategic initiatives and infrastructure that connect Indian businesses to global markets. In 2024 alone, DP World’s flagship free zone, saw a 40% rise in trade volume and a 17% rise in trade value from India compared to the year before. Today, more than 2,300 Indian companies operate from Jafza, employing over 15,000 people across core sectors including electronics, construction, food, chemicals, and logistics. Indian businesses represent the largest community in the free zone by trade volume. Last year, Jafza welcomed 283 new Indian companies, marking a 15% year-on-year increase in new registrations and highlighting the strength of the India-UAE trade corridor and the growing demand for Dubai’s multimodal trade infrastructure and strategic connectivity.   His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman & CEO, DP World, said: “India has been instrumental to Jafza’s story over the past four decades. Our collaboration has gone beyond trade to create a lasting partnership based on trust, opportunity, and mutual progress. India and the UAE aim to reach $100 billion in non-oil trade by 2030, and Jebel Ali’s ecosystem will be a key driver in achieving this milestone. As we look ahead, we remain committed to supporting India’s global ambitions through our network of smart logistics solutions.”  

The Karnataka government plans to set up a logistics park at Balepura, near Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. Karnataka State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (KSIIDC) recently floated a tender for the logistics facility and related infrastructure under the design, finance, build, operate and transfer (DFBOT) model, said reports. The selected developer will build an integrated logistics facility, which may include a logistics park, standalone warehouses, cold storage, or manufacturing units on the 10-acre site and must commence operations within 36 months of receiving the letter of award (LoA).

Air cargo freight rate improvements continued to narrow in April amid weakening demand, geopolitical tariff tensions and a drop in jet fuel prices. While global air cargo volumes grew 4% year on year in April, global air cargo spot rates rose just 3% year on year, a second consecutive month of only a single-digit increase, said Xeneta, and a continuation of a narrowing of the growth rate. Rates were up 17% in January, 10% in February and 6% in March. “This slowdown aligns with weaker demand trends. Adding to the downward pressure on rates, jet fuel prices fell -24% year-on-year in the first three weeks of April,” said Xeneta. “This drop, driven by ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainties, likely played a role in tempering overall spot rate growth.”

The Air Cargo Logistics Hub at Manohar International Airport (MOPA) has started export of mangoes from Konkan region. As per reports, a shipment containing 3386 kg of Alphonso mangoes was sent to Sharjah via Air Arabia flight. 600 kgs of mangoes are expected to be exported at Europe and UAE in the coming months.

Giving a boost to Indian air cargo, and trusting its in capabilities, both Vietnam Airlines and Challenge Group have started their cargo operations recently from Bangalore Airport, with Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) and AISATS as their cargo handling and ground handling partners respectively. Vietnam Airlines will operate four weekly flights from BLR Airport to Hanoi International Airport, while Challenge Group will operate one weekly freighter services from BLR Airport.