Cargo handled (thousand tonnes) by Indian Civil Aviation from 2011 to 2025

The pre-pandemic period (2011-2019) showed steady growth in cargo handling, with total volumes increasing from 2,279.99 thousand tonnes in 2011-12 to 3,561.90 thousand tonnes in 2018-19, representing a robust 56% growth over seven years. This growth trajectory, though less dramatic than passenger traffic during the same period, reflects India’s expanding role in global supply chains and rising domestic demand for time-sensitive cargo. The strongest period of growth occurred between 2016-17 and 2018-19, coinciding with significant policy initiatives like GST implementation and logistics sector reforms. Unlike passenger traffic, the cargo sector demonstrated remarkable resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, with volumes declining by only 30% to 2,473.91 thousand tonnes in 2020-21. This relatively moderate impact compared to passenger traffic highlights the essential nature of air cargo, particularly for critical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and e-commerce goods during the pandemic. This period also marked the introduction of PPP airports in the data, which handled 72.9 thousand tonnes in their first reporting year. The post-pandemic recovery was swift and comprehensive, with cargo volumes reaching 3,140.8 thousand tonnes in 2021-22, nearly recovering to pre-pandemic levels in just one year. By 2023-24, cargo handling reached 3,365.7 thousand tonnes, slightly below the pre-pandemic peak but demonstrating strong sector recovery. This rapid rebound underscores the air cargo sector’s strategic importance and adaptability.

However, the provisional figure for 2024-25 shows a significant projected decline to 2,198.93 thousand tonnes, representing a 34.7% decrease from the previous year and falling below the volume handled in 2012-13. This unexpected drop affects all three categories of airports and could indicate broader economic challenges, trade pattern shifts, or modal changes in freight transportation. The structural composition of India’s air cargo sector reveals the dominance of joint venture international airports, which consistently handle approximately 70-75% of total cargo throughout the period. This concentration reflects the importance of major metropolitan gateways in international trade and the infrastructure advantages of these airports. The gradual increase in PPP airports’ share from 2.9% in 2020-21 to 5.5% in 2023-24 indicates the growing role of these newer operational models in India’s air cargo ecosystem.