Mumbai airport cargo traffic surges by 20 per cent

E-commerce majorly impacted CSMIA cargo operations. Representation Pic

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) witnessed a 6 per cent year-on-year growth in overall cargo volumes (domestic and international in the financial year 2023-24). International cargo volumes alone increased by 10 per cent, said the Mumbai airport. The airport also registered a 20 per cent increase in the total number of Cargo Air Traffic Movements (ATMs).

CSMIA currently connects with a network of close to 700 cargo destinations. "Automobile products, pharmaceuticals & agriculture products were the top three categories of products transported internationally via CSMIA's air cargo. In general cargo, engineering goods, and post office (PO) mail were the top three categories of products transported domestically from CSMIA," said the airport.

"On the international scale, the top three categories transported are automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural cargo," said Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) in a press statement. Meanwhile, domestically, the leading cargo categories include general cargo, engineering goods, and post office (PO) mail, the press statement added.

"The surge in e-commerce significantly impacted cargo operations at CSMIA. The festive season of Diwali noticed a notable 87 per cent year-on-year growth in e-commerce shipments. The demand for perishable items also experienced a noteworthy increase," said a senior official from MIAL, adding that mango exports were particularly prominent from April to July 2023, accompanied by the export of seasonal cut flowers and chocolates during the Valentine's Day period. "Additionally, the airport handled its inaugural shipment of frozen ready-to-serve food products, such as Idli and Vada, using specialized va-Q-tec containers bound for Amsterdam" the official added.

"CSMIA's international cargo volumes comprised 56 per cent exports and 44 per cent imports. London, Frankfurt, Dubai, Chicago, and Amsterdam were the top global destinations for outgoing cargo, while Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad led domestically. Top international carriers handling cargo volumes from CSMIA included Emirates, Qatar, and Cathay Pacific, along with Indigo, Vistara, and Akasa Air as top domestic carriers." said another senior official MIAL in a press statement said it is in the process of building PEB (Pre-Engineered Building Structure) to enhance its cargo handling capacity in imports. "In addition to these efforts, CSMIA has pioneered innovations in cargo operations, notably introducing the Air Cargo Community System, Adani MIAL Air Exchange (AMAX), the first of its kind in India," read the press statement.

"This system revolutionises processes through SOPs, integrated systems, and digitization. Mobile apps like AMAX and Turant enable transparent, paperless, and digital operations, eliminating physical documentation for export consignments. Integrated processes like E-Airwaybill, e-carting order, e-CSD, e-delivery orders, and e-gate passes ensure efficiency," the statement added. "The introduction of Digital Docket Delivery (D-Cube) for import gate pass system further streamlines online processing, reducing paper usage and cargo dwell time," said a senior official from MIAL.

700
No of cargo destinations CSMIA connects