Air freight ambitions to soar to 21 MMT by 2047: Minister

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said, “Air cargo sector may hold greater untapped potential. With a 47 per cent rise in volumes over the past decade, India now ranks 6^th globally in total air cargo volumes, third in domestic freight, 12^th in global freight. India’s cargo handling capacity has expanded to eight million MT, growing 10 per cent annually, with targets of 10 MMT by 2030 and 21 MMT by 2047.” Naidu was addressing the gathering at 11^th Global Aviation Air Cargo Conclave held by PHDCCI. The national logistics enablers PM Gati Shakti, the National Logistics Policy and GST-driven market integration have accelerated this growth. Yet, India currently handles 2.9 per cent of global air cargo, underscoring massive room for expansion. One of the vital advancements, the minister noted, has been the rollout of iCargo, which grew from five airports in 2016 to 71 airports today with plans for 79 by 2030. The initiative is sharply focused on cutting processing time from eight hours to six hours and is extremely crucial for time-sensitive goods, especially perishables.”