‘Customers must opt for road transport to move cargo domestically’

Gautham R, Senior Manager – Global Air Freight, Head – Air Freight, India said, “The closure of PAK airspace has any which way impacted the cost of operations of the Indian airlines like Air India, SpiceJet and Indigo. This had not only impacted the flying time and operational cost of Indian Airlines but also the few international carriers like Air France, British Airways, and Swiss Flights, which are followed by Lufthansa, ITA Airways, Lot Polish Airlines and many more, which obviously increased the cost of operations for every airline, which will impact the freight rates till this situation prevails based on the demand. The flights departing from Northern India, especially to Europe and the Middle East, have to take a long route (45 minutes to 1 hour of extra travel time), which will make them carry extra fuel, which affects the payload (reducing the tonnage capacity of cargo that can be carried), which will make airlines increase the cargo rates slowly with no other choice due to operational reasons. Considering the current border tensions, we believe the overall impact may not be too severe when weighed against the safety measures implemented by the Government. Moreover, short-term alternatives are available to navigate the disruption. The greater impact is expected on perishable cargo, especially for domestic shipments with limited shelf life. This season marks the harvest of mangoes, lychees, pineapples, apricots, and other fruits in Northern India—making timely logistics crucial. Given the situation, we recommend that customers opt for road transport to Delhi, from where the cargo can be dispatched both domestically and internationally. The closure of Amritsar airport—an important hub for international perishable cargo movement—has further affected operation.