1 week ago
Air India Doubles Cargo Volumes on Chennai-Delhi-Frankfurt Corridor
Air India tested a new government rule for moving cargo through Delhi.
The test began on June 20, 2026, on flights between Chennai, Delhi and Frankfurt.
Air India said the amount of cargo carried each day more than doubled.
Packages also spent much less time waiting at Delhi Airport.
The airline said all booked cargo was flown and no cargo was lost or damaged.
The rule lets eligible shipments stay securely packed during transit.
This means they do not need to be screened and handled piece by piece again.
The pilot will now cover more Indian cities and European destinations.
Air India said a government cargo-transhipment policy doubled average daily cargo volumes from 2.2 to 4.5 metric tonnes.
The proof of concept on the Chennai-Delhi-Frankfurt corridor began on June 20, 2026.
Average cargo connection time at Delhi Airport fell from about 48 hours to about 8 hours.
Flown-as-Booked performance improved from 76% to 100%, with no reported cargo loss or damage during transit.
The expanded pilot will connect five Indian origins through Delhi to Copenhagen, Frankfurt and London Heathrow.
- Who
- Air India, with support from the Government of India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and other stakeholders.
- What
- Air India operationalised a new cargo-transhipment policy through a proof of concept and reported higher cargo volumes and faster connections.
- Where
- The initial corridor connects Chennai, Delhi and Frankfurt; the expanded pilot will route cargo through Delhi.
- When
- The proof of concept launched on June 20, 2026, and results were reported after two months.
- Why
- The policy is intended to make cargo transfers faster and more efficient, strengthen Indian airports as transit hubs and attract additional air-cargo traffic.
Key facts
- Cargo volume
- Average daily volume rose from 2.2 metric tonnes to 4.5 metric tonnes.
- Connection time
- Average cargo connection time at Delhi Airport declined from around 48 hours to around 8 hours.
- Flown-as-Booked performance
- Performance increased from 76% to 100%.
- Transit record
- Air India reported zero cargo loss or damage during transit.
- Initial corridor
- Chennai-Delhi-Frankfurt.
- Expanded Indian origins
- Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
- Expanded European destinations
- Copenhagen, Frankfurt and London Heathrow.
Quotes
Ramesh Mamidala
Air India Head of Cargo
“This new cargo transhipment policy is an important step towards that objective. By making cargo transfers faster and more efficient, it will help strengthen the competitiveness of Indian airports and support growth across the logistics value chain. We thank the Ministry of Civil Aviation, BCAS and all stakeholders for their partnership and support in making this pioneering initiative possible”
thestatesman.com
“The reformed cargo transhipment policy has the potential to be a game-changer for India’s air cargo sector. By enabling seamless cargo transfers through Delhi, it can help attract transit traffic that currently moves through foreign gateways, unlock additional cargo volumes for Air India, and significantly improve aircraft belly utilisation across our expanding network”
thestatesman.com
Sources
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