Navi Mumbai Int'l Airport welcomes first foreign freighter cargo

Mumbai: Adani Group-CIDCO jointly owned Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on Sunday announced the first arrival of an international freighter at its facility with the first Hong Kong Aircargo-operated aircraft reaching from Hong Kong.

The development is a part of NMIA's wider international cargo ramp-up, with 13 new freighter services expected to commence operations, the private airport operator said.

Hong Kong Air Cargo will operate three weekly services between Hong Kong and Navi Mumbai, translating into six weekly cargo air traffic movements, Navi Mumbai International Ltd (NMIAL) -- the entity managing the airport -- said.


The service will use an Airbus A330-200F freighter, carrying about 60 tonnes of import and export shipments, it stated.

NMIAL is a special purpose vehicle in which Adani Group holds 74 per cent stake and the rest 26 per cent are held by the Maharashtra government's city planning agency, CIDCO.

Accelerating its global operations, NMIA marked two major milestones in rapid succession, it said, adding that the airport launched its first Air India Express international passenger flight to Abu Dhabi on July 15.

This was followed by its inaugural dedicated freighter (IndiGo Cargo to Sharjah) on August 1, carrying 20 tonnes of goods.

These achievements underscore NMIA's dynamic growth in both passenger and cargo aviation, the airport operator said.

NMIA said it is rapidly expanding its destination as many international cargo operators have filed and have received approval to operate at major destinations across Asia, Europe, and West Asia, including Hong Kong, Chengdu, Bangkok, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Dubai, Amsterdam, Bahrain, Paris, and Riyadh.

"With a significant increase in freighter activity expected by the end of August, we are rapidly expanding our international cargo network and strengthening connectivity with key markets across Asia, Europe, and West Asia.

"This growing network will create greater opportunities for exporters, importers and businesses, while reinforcing NMIA's role as a strategic logistics and trade gateway for Maharashtra and western India," said a spokesperson of Navi Mumbai International Airport.

Aligned with the National Logistics Policy and Maharashtra Government's Logistics Policy 2024, NMIA is building a seamless, tech-enabled cargo ecosystem, it said.

This expanding network will connect the airport with leading global trade and logistics hubs, further strengthening its role as a key cargo gateway from Western India, NMIA added.