Category Archives: Aviation

C K Govil, President, ACAAI said, “Since Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspaces are shut, Indian airlines are diverting flights through Central Asia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, or via Hindu Kush routes. This rerouting adds hours to flight times, increases fuel usage and forces extra technical stops, pushing costs up. While exact rates aren’t yet public, similar tensions previously drove a 10–15 % air‑freight cost increase. Indian cargo trade is impacted, across both air and sea lanes, due to longer routes, rising fuel/insurance costs and logistical shifts. Expect exporters to feel margin pressure unless the situation stabilises soon.”

Sunil Kohli, Managing Director, Rahat Cargo said, “The present air space closure situation has significantly impacted several international air routes that usually traverse Iranian skies, particularly those operating between India and Europe & North America resulting in a surge in cancellation and rescheduling of flights originating from India. However, consequently no noticeable increase in the airfreight by the carriers have been observed yet the uncertainties regarding the flights have been looming large among the stakeholders. Further, an un-decided schedule coupled with extended hours of flying thus causing considerable delays in arriving the destinations have left the shippers of perishable & pharma products in quandary apprehending spoilage of their products due to impending delays. The frequent cancellation, rescheduling added with payload constraints of its flights destined abroad from all Indian stations by the dominant carrier Air India has resulted in considerable quantum of exports.”

Jalpa H Vithalani, Director, Global Aviation Services said, “Currently, there seems to be no adverse effect on the air cargo industry. There hasn’t been any increase on the fuel surcharges nor the air cargo tariffs. There have been a few regional sectors that have had closures due to security/safety measures but the volumes haven’t been affected to a large extent. The air space closure has resulted in some air routes altered but this too hasn’t impacted the trade in a way to be worried about. But if the conflict extends, the sea routes could be affected such as Strait of Hormuz which could have a cascading higher demand for air cargo. The air cargo fraternity needs to monitor the events in the coming weeks to assess the impact of an extended conflict.”  

Balagopal Balachandran, National Head, Air Freight, FEI Cargo said, “Just as global trade was stabilising with shipping returning to the Red Sea, the Iran-Israel conflict has reignited fears of oil price surges and trade disruptions. For India , which imports over 80% of its crude oil poses significant macroeconomic risks. The Iran-Israel conflict has directly translated into elevated costs, reduced predictability, and a fragmented cargo flow for Indian EXIM stakeholders. While freight forwarders and carriers have responded by introducing dynamic routing and premium service tiers, the longer-term solution lies in diplomatic stability and regional cooperation. For now, Indian exporters and importers must navigate this volatile environment through agile planning, contractual flexibility, and close alignment with airline and GSA partners. While demand remains relatively stable due to backlogged shipments and seasonal peak movements, available capacity has been moderate. Globally several freighter operators are now reallocating space on a yield basis, leading to priority being given to high-margin cargo. This has resulted in a skewed cargo mix and longer waiting times for general and low-yield freight.”

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), in April and May 2025 alone, efficiently managed 3,624 metric tonnes (MT) of mango export, marking a remarkable 9 per cent rise from the previous year and reinforcing its expanding role in global trade. As India’s premier air cargo hub for perishables, CSMIA has facilitated the export of some of India’s finest mango varieties, including Alphonso, Chausa, Kesar, Badami, and Neelam, meeting global demand. London led as the top destination, followed by Toronto and New York, where Indian mangoes continue to enjoy a premium position and dedicated consumer base. Expressing delight, CSMIA spokesperson said, “ At CSMIA, we take immense pride in being the gateway for exporting India’s renowned mangoes to the global markets. With cutting-edge infrastructure and an advanced cold-chain system, we help preserve and elevate the global reputation of Indian mangoes by ensuring every fruit reaches its destination in peak freshness. Our commitment is to excellence and to supporting exporters in taking India’s finest mango produce to the world.” To uphold the delicate nature of mango shipments, CSMIA offers world-class infrastructure tailored specifically for perishable cargo. Its state-of-the-art Air Cargo facility sets a benchmark with cutting-edge technology designed to maintainthe highest standards of quality and efficiency. The heart of this operation is the Agro Excellence Centre, a 2,000 squaremeter temperature-controlled zone where every critical process from acceptance and screening to palletisation isconducted in a meticulously maintained environment. Temperature within the facility is consistently regulated between 15°C and 25°C to preserve freshness and prevent spoilage. Shipments are handled with utmost care to minimise exposure to heat and maintain optimal humidity levels. Palletisation is done strategically to ensure proper air circulation, further enhancing the longevity and quality …

“Emergency aircraft landings and unscheduled returns risk compromising temperature-sensitive cargo,” said Rajen Bhatia, Chairman Western Region, ACAAI. “For exporters depending on reliable air logistics, these incidents may result in product spoilage, missed delivery windows, and significant economic losses. However, there has been no cargo damage that has been reported so far. Currently Air India is having some issues with around 6-7 flights being cancelled due to technical reasons which has had very little impact on the exports of perishable cargo, but time will tell if more flights have maintenance issues then some cargo exports may be affected. This tragedy is definitely a turning point and the public trust in the national carrier can only be rebuilt through decisive and visible safety reforms. Let this tragedy serve as a pivotal moment to reinforce accountability, safety, and operational excellence across the industry.”

Amazon is planning to invest over Rs 2000 crore in 2025, as part of its commitment to building and operating India’s safest, fastest and most reliable operations network. The investment will be used to expand and upgrade operations infrastructure, improve associate safety and well-being programs, and develop new tools and technology for its fulfillment network. This new investment builds on top of Amazon’s investments in creating an ops network that helps the company deliver to all serviceable pin-codes across India.  “For over a decade now in India, we have been focused on building the best-in-class logistics infrastructure—designed to deliver with safety, speed, scale, and reliability for our customers across the country. These latest investments reflect our commitment to continually expand and upgrade our operations across our fulfilment, sortation and delivery network. By strengthening our infrastructure capabilities, enhancing processing capacity, and implementing state-of-the-art technology, we’re positioning Amazon to better serve customers throughout India while supporting our employees, associates and partners who are the heart of it all,” said Abhinav Singh, VP – Operations, Amazon India and Australia.

Arun Kumar, President, AMTOI said, “The Logistics Performance Index (LPI) is more than just a metric—it reflects the overall health and efficiency of a country’s logistics ecosystem. While it is encouraging to see India’s, ranking improve in recent years, we must not lose sight of the broader picture. As the world’s fourth-largest economy, ranking 38th on the LPI suggests that there are still 37 nations outperforming us in critical logistics parameters. That gap demands serious introspection. One key bottleneck lies in how we diagnose the problem. Early on, the government cited a logistics cost figure of 14% of GDP and cantered its strategy solely on cost reduction. But this was based on questionable data and led to a narrow, often misguided, approach, what I would call a classic case of data-driven misdiagnosis. The real issues are far more systemic and behavioral. Our logistics sector continues to suffer from: Fragmented regulatory frameworks across ministries and states. Over-regulation and under-facilitation. A lack of trust between regulators and service providers. Slow adoption of standardization, digital integration, and interoperable systems. To address these, we must dig deeper, fixing the mindset that governs how we approach logistics policy. As Chanakya rightly advised, to solve a problem permanently, one must strike at its root. The root here is a legacy mindset that views business with suspicion and sees regulation as control rather than enablement. We need a fundamental shift, from process-centric governance to outcome-driven facilitation. This means building trust, embracing transparency, enabling risk-based compliance, and treating the logistics sector not just as a service industry, but as a national strategic asset. Only then will India’s LPI ranking truly reflect its economic standing and more importantly, its …

  To cater to growing pharma market and to further strengthen the bridge between the two rapidly growing markets, Ethiopian Airlines has officially started new flight to Hyderabad. The cargo will be carried in the belly of the aircraft. The inaugural flight departed from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport on June 16, 2025. With this launch, Hyderabad becomes the airline’s fifth Indian destination after Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. Hyderabad is a key player in India’s tech and pharma sectors.

Amit Maheshwari, Founder and CEO, Softlink Global said, “Since Iranian airspace closed on 13 June, spot airfreight ex-India to Europe and West Asia has jumped about 30-45 %, and forwarders warn surcharges could touch 50 % if the stand-off drags on. High-value, time-critical loads—pharmaceuticals, electronics, auto parts and perishables—are scrambling for capacity. Eurocontrol data shows 1,800 flights were cancelled or diverted on day one, trimming export bookings and tonnage by mid-single digits already. Reroutes via Egypt or Turkey add 90 minutes to three hours of flying, stretching door-to-door schedules by roughly a full day and lifting insurance premiums further.”