Mumbai airport to halt dedicated cargo flights for nine months; IATA calls for rollback

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), the country’s second-largest air cargo hub, will suspend all dedicated freighter operations for an extended period to carry out major airside infrastructure works, a move that has drawn strong opposition from the global airline body IATA.

Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), the Adani Group-led operator of CSMIA, has informed aviation stakeholders that all standalone cargo flights will be halted from August 2026 to May 2027. In a letter dated December 11, MIAL said it had examined multiple options to keep cargo services running but found no viable alternative due to severe space and operational constraints.

The suspension is linked to a set of critical projects, including re-carpeting of the airport’s main runway, construction of a new parallel taxiway to ease aircraft movement, and the complete rebuilding of Apron G — the airport’s only dedicated cargo apron used by freighter aircraft for parking, loading and unloading.

CSMIA handled around 8.9 lakh tonnes (890,000 tonnes) of cargo in FY2024-25, accounting for nearly 25 per cent of India’s total air cargo throughput. At present, the airport manages about seven to eight dedicated cargo departures daily, transporting high-value and time-sensitive shipments such as pharmaceuticals, perishables and express freight.

MIAL has argued that continuous passenger flight operations and land constraints make it impossible to allocate an alternative apron for freighters during the reconstruction period. As a result, cargo airlines will be forced to divert operations to other gateways.

The announcement has raised concerns across the air cargo ecosystem, with logistics firms and carriers warning of significant disruption to supply chains centred around Mumbai. Many exporters and importers rely on the airport’s proximity to established cargo terminals, warehouses and distribution hubs, enabling rapid turnaround times.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged Mumbai Airport to immediately withdraw the decision and engage in urgent consultations with airlines. The industry body said a prolonged shutdown of freighter operations at such a critical hub could undermine India’s air cargo reliability and competitiveness.

Adding to the concern is a separate notice issued by Mumbai Airport to cargo operators stating that all cargo flight operations would be suspended from August 16, 2025 — communicated with only three months’ notice. Cargo airlines say the short lead time leaves little room to redesign networks or secure alternative infrastructure.

While some traffic is expected to shift to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), scheduled to begin operations in late December 2025, airlines and shippers caution that relocating cargo activity will not be seamless. They argue that moving operations away from the existing Mumbai ecosystem could increase costs, delay deliveries and weaken supply chains built over decades around CSMIA.

Industry stakeholders are now pressing for phased works, partial operations or interim solutions that would allow at least limited freighter movements to continue while infrastructure upgrades are carried out.