Air India Doubles Cargo Volume on Chennai-Delhi-Frankfurt Corridor
Mumbai, Aug 21 (UNI): Tata Group-owned Air India has successfully operationalised the Government of India's new cargo transshipment policy through an ongoing Proof of Concept (PoC) on the Chennai-Delhi-Frankfurt air cargo corridor, launched on June 20, 2026.
According to an Air India statement, the reformed policy has helped double average cargo volumes on the corridor within two months, rising from 2.2 metric tonnes (MT) per day to 4.5 MT per day.
The policy has also significantly reduced the average cargo connection time at Delhi Airport, from around 48 hours to approximately eight hours. Air India said its Flown-as-Booked (FAB) performance improved from 76 per cent to 100 per cent, while no cargo loss or damage was recorded during transit.
The new policy has also contributed to improved customer satisfaction, with major freight forwarders including DHL, Dachser, DVS and Kuehne Nagel reportedly sharing positive feedback on their shipping experience.
Under the new framework, eligible cargo shipments can remain securely packed during transit, eliminating the need for piece-level re-screening. This reduces connection times and handling requirements while enabling faster cargo movement without compromising safety or security.
Following the government's approval to expand the pilot programme, Air India will now facilitate eligible cargo movements through Delhi from five Indian points — Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai — connecting onward to three European destinations: Copenhagen, Frankfurt and London Heathrow.
Air India Group Head of Governance, Risk, Compliance and Corporate Affairs P Balaji said the initiative aligned with the government's broader vision of strengthening India's aviation and logistics infrastructure.
He said the focus on the aviation sector extended beyond passenger growth to developing world-class cargo and logistics capabilities that could enable Indian airports to emerge as global transit hubs.
“This new cargo transshipment policy is an important step towards that objective. By making cargo transfers faster and more efficient, it will help strengthen the competitiveness of Indian airports and support growth across the logistics value chain,” Balaji said.
He also thanked the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and other stakeholders for supporting the initiative.
Air India Head of Cargo Ramesh Mamidala described the reformed policy as potentially “a game-changer” for India's air cargo sector.
He said seamless cargo transfers through Delhi could help attract transit traffic that currently moves through foreign gateways, generate additional cargo volumes for Air India and improve aircraft belly utilisation across its expanding network.
According to Mamidala, Delhi alone has the potential to attract more than two million metric tonnes of additional annual transshipment cargo across 95 addressable international air cargo corridors.
He added that the benefits could extend beyond airlines to freight forwarders, e-commerce companies, warehousing providers, ground handlers and other allied services, while strengthening Delhi's position as a major air cargo hub in India.
