The construction of cargo infrastructure at Noida International Airport is likely to start later this year. NIA will cater to a differentiated catchment and several upcoming industrial clusters in Uttar Pradesh. A multi-modal cargo hub (MMCH) will contribute to the vibrancy of the overall ecosystem. . Christoph Schnellmann, Chief Executive Officer, Noida International Airport told exclusively to us, “We expect the cargo ecosystem at NIA to develop with a focus on e-commerce, electronics, textiles, agri-perishables, and pharmaceuticals. With rising e-commerce demands and the auto market gaining traction, we see volumes back in the bellies of aircraft. This is further affirmed by the increase in aircraft orders by Indian domestic carriers. In addition, domestic carriers like IndiGo have introduced freighters with orders of four A321 P2F aircraft. Blue Dart, a well-established freight carrier, is also adding two additional B737s to their existing fleet. DHL and UPS are poised to increase their capacity in India as well. NIA is developing a multi-modal cargo hub across 80 acres, which will become operational in 2024. This will pave the path for a future cargo hub in India. Employing more efficient infrastructure and technology in this greenfield project and digitalization of manual process and documentation will help to address existing pain points in the market. Predictability in operations will be a key differentiator for NIA.”