Government releases national air cargo policy at Global Aviation Summit in Mumbai

The government unveiled its much-awaited national air cargo policy at the Global Aviation Summit in Mumbai. The policy, aimed to bring down the cost of air logistics, seeks to make India one of the top five air freight markets by 2025, besides creating air transport shipment hubs at all major airports over the next six years. It states that international cargo comprises 60 per cent of the total air cargo tonnes handled in the country, logging a growth of 15.6 per cent in the previous fiscal, while domestic cargo grew by over eight per cent, which reflects the skewed modal mix, in which roads account for over 60 per cent of cargo transportation as compared to the global average of around 30 per cent. The policy will also encourage code sharing/inter-line agreements between foreign and Indian carriers.