Proposed freighter shutdown at Mumbai airport may push exporters to Delhi, Bengaluru

aircraft that carries goods instead of passengers.If freighter operations move out of Mumbai, cargo capacity will shrink sharply, pushing up air freight rates, Kumar said. Shipping from Navi Mumbai would also be more expensive as the airport has limited cargo freighters and no international passenger flights, reducing available belly space and creating supply constraints.In contrast, Delhi operates under an open sky policy, allowing a higher number of cargo flights.

As a result, freight rates there are likely to remain more stable. Exporters can move goods domestically from Mumbai to Delhi at a fraction of international freight costs, and then ship them overseas more cheaply, Kumar added.The concern stems from operational limitations at Navi Mumbai International Airport.

Though cleared to handle wide-body aircraft, international passenger flights have not yet begun, and underbelly cargo from such flights is critical to making freight operations economically viable, Kumar said.For instance, if a freighter carries 20 tonnes of cargo but can accommodate only 15 tonnes, the remaining five tonnes are typically transported on passenger aircraft, an option unavailable at Navi Mumbai at present.Navi Mumbai International Airport, which began domestic operations on 25 December, will initially operate only between 8 am and 8 pm. International airlines are expected to join after permits for night operations are obtained, Arun Bansal, chief executive officer of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, had said in October.Adani Airport Holdings, which operates both Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports, did not respond to Mint’s requests for comment.The freighter suspension follows infrastructure constraints at Mumbai airport.