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India's Air Cargo Hits 3.72 MMT Milestone, Soars 47% in a Decade

India's air cargo sector achieved a record 3.72 million metric tonnes in 2024-25, marking a 47% increase over the past decade. The growth is fueled by infrastructure expansion at 74 airports and new facilities at Jewar and Navi Mumbai. The government has introduced financial interventions, including reimbursing customs staff costs at 27 airports to support regional hubs. As of December 2025, the current fiscal year has already recorded 2.98 MMT, signaling another record-breaking year.

Key Points: India's Air Cargo Hits Record 3.72 MMT in 2024-25

  • Record 3.72 MMT cargo in 2024-25, up 47% from 2.53 MMT in 2014-15
  • Operations now at 74 airports with new facilities at Jewar and Navi Mumbai
  • Government reimburses customs staff costs at 27 airports to boost regional hubs
  • Current fiscal year already recorded 2.98 MMT as of December 2025
2 min read

India's sky-high logistics: Air cargo hits 3.72 MMT milestone amid infrastructure push, policy reforms

India's air cargo sector reaches 3.72 million metric tonnes in 2024-25, a 47% surge over a decade, driven by infrastructure expansion and policy reforms.

"India's air cargo sector is no longer just 'taking off,' it's cruising at a record-breaking altitude. - Official source"

New Delhi, May 12

India's air cargo sector shifted into high gear, reaching a record 3.72 million metric tonnes in the 2024-25 fiscal year, emerging as a vital driver of the country's logistics and international trade ecosystem, according to official source.

This 47% surge over the last decade marks India's transformation into a global logistics heavyweight, fueled by aggressive infrastructure expansion and strategic policy shifts.

The leap from 2.53 MMT in 2014-15 to the current 3.72 MMT highlights a decade of rapid scaling. The momentum shows no signs of slowing; as of December 2025, the current fiscal year (2025-26) has already recorded 2.98 MMT, putting India on track for another record-breaking year.

Notably, cargo operations are now carried out at 74 airports across the country. The government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are actively augmenting warehousing capacity and modernising infrastructure.

Moreover, massive new facilities are currently under development at the upcoming Jewar (Noida) and Navi Mumbai international airports, while AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company (AAICLAS) is modernising terminals at six strategic locations: Srinagar, Dehradun in North India; Dibrugarh, Dimapur in East and Northeast; Vijayawada in South India and Jodhpur in West India.

One of the most significant hurdles for Tier-II and Tier-III airports has been the high cost of maintaining customs staff. To tackle this, the government has introduced a targeted financial intervention for the 2024-25 to 2026-27 period.

The government will now reimburse the costs of deploying customs personnel at 27 airports, including 15 dedicated cargo terminals.

This move is designed to make smaller facilities financially viable, ensuring that even regional hubs can compete on a global scale. By lowering the barrier to entry for international trade in smaller cities, India is positioning itself as a decentralised, highly efficient regional cargo hub.

With enhanced warehousing, modernised terminals, and supportive fiscal policies, India's air cargo sector is no longer just "taking off," it's cruising at a record-breaking altitude.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Finally, some good news about infrastructure beyond just highways! 🛫 The reimbursement of customs staff costs at 27 airports is a smart move—those costs were strangling regional hubs. Now if only they could fix the last-mile connectivity in places like Dimapur...
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Vikram M
As a logistics professional, this is encouraging but also sobering. 47% growth is impressive, but we're still way behind China or Singapore in handling e-commerce and perishables. The warehousing modernization at 6 airports is a drop in the bucket. We need 60 more terminals upgraded, not 6.
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Ananya R
True progress! 👍 But I'm a bit skeptical about the "decentralised regional cargo hub" narrative. Tier-II airports still lack basic cold storage and cargo handling equipment. The government reimbursement is helpful, but private investment needs to step up too. Hope this isn't just statistics.
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Rohit P
Bade bhaiya ka kaam chal raha hai! 😄 But on a serious note, if we're handling 3.72 MMT now, imagine what happens with the dedicated freight corridors coming online. This 47% growth is just the beginning. The next 10 years will be incredible for India's trade.
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Kavya N
One thing missing from this article: the environmental impact. All this cargo growth means more flights, more emissions. We need to talk about sustainable aviation fuel and electric ground vehicles at these new terminals. Otherwise, we'll solve logistics but create pollution.

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