Cathay Cargo the latest to add Navi Mumbai freighter flights
Cathay Cargo has become the latest airline to shift its Mumbai freighter flights to the recently opened Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The Hong Kong carrier said that it would operate three flights to the Indian airport per week using its Boeing 747-400ERF and 747-8F aircraft.
The carrier had previously been operating its dedicated cargo flights to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, but freighter operations are being temporarily suspended at the airport while upgrades are carried out.
The carrier’s bellyhold cargo operations will remain at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Cathay Pacific regional head of cargo for South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, Rajesh Menon, said: “The move of our Mumbai freighter operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport reinforces our steadfast commitment to the Indian market and its growth trajectory.
“By combining Navi Mumbai International Airport’s modern infrastructure with our dedicated freighter presence and our ‘We Know How’ expertise, we are providing reliable connectivity and specialist handling for local enterprises, exporters and SMEs.
“This will also further strengthen connectivity between Western India’s exporters and key global markets through our Hong Kong hub.”
In addition to its Navi Mumbai International Airport freighter service, Cathay Cargo continues to operate its dedicated freighter network across India, operating five weekly freighter flights from Delhi and Chennai, respectively.
Cathay Cargo utilises additional bellyhold capacity on Cathay Pacific’s passenger aircraft across all five of its Indian gateways: Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad with 45 passenger flights per week across these five cities.
Earlier this month, Silk Way West announced the start of its cargo operations at the new India airport.
Hong Kong Air Cargo is also moving its freighter flights to the airport.
NMIA opened its doors back in December, but freighter operations did not get underway until 1 August, when an IndiGo freighter took off from the airport.
