CSMIA highlights 2023 cargo growth

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) registered an 87 percent year-on-year growth of e-commerce shipments during the festive season of 2023.

CSMIA currently connects 600 international and 65 domestic cargo destinations, according to an official release.“CSMIA saw a 12% year-on-year increase in the total number of Air Traffic Movements ( ATMs) for air cargo operations in the year 2023. Pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, automobiles, e-commerce, and perishables comprise the major types of goods handled by CSMIA’s cargo facility.”

Internationally, the primary products transported include automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural cargo. Domestically, the top categories are consolidated cargo (consol cargo), pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, and post office mail.

The demand for perishable items, including 4,700 tonnes of exported mangoes, witnessed a year-over-year increase of 318 percent. “Overall agricultural products experienced a 44 percent year-over-year growth. CSMIA successfully handled its inaugural consignment of frozen ready-to-serve food products like idli and vada using specialised va-Q-tec containers bound for Amsterdam.”

The international cargo volumes handled by CSMIA include 55 percent exports and 45 percent imports. “Globally, London, Frankfurt, Dubai, Chicago, and Amsterdam emerged as the top five destinations receiving cargo from CSMIA. On the domestic front, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad were the top five destinations. Emirates, Qatar, and Cathay Pacific, among the international airlines, and IndiGo, Blue Dart, and Air India, among domestic carriers, emerged on the forefront of handling the highest cargo volumes at CSMIA.”

To meet the rising cargo demand, CSMIA is expanding warehouse capacity and upgrading IT systems to enhance efficiency and reduce dwell time. The introduction of a new PEB structure in the import section not only boosts capacity but also optimises space utilisation. Moreover, the recently introduced digital docket delivery (D-Cube) for the import gate pass system accelerates online processing, reducing paper usage and cargo dwell time, the release added.

CSMIA, as the first Indian airport, introduced the Air Cargo Community System, Adani MIAL Air Exchange (AMAX), transforming cargo operations with SOPs, integrated systems, and digitisation. Mobile applications, AMAX, and Turant provide transparent, paperless, and digital operations, eliminating the need for physical copies in export consignments. The airport also launched the first air cargo community portal in India, improving operational efficiency and supporting better supply chain planning, according to the official release.