Air India Aims to Triple Cargo Capacity Over the Next Five Years

Air India said it plans to triple its cargo capacity through belly capacity within the next five years.

The airline has firm orders for 34 Airbus A350-1000, six A350-900, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and 10 Boeing 777X widebody aircraft. These aircraft are expected to increase Air India’s annual cargo capacity by 300% to 2m tonnes over the next five years.

Air India chief executive and managing director Campbell Wilson said: “At Air India, we see a huge potential in the air cargo industry, which the Indian Government plans to grow to 10 million tonnes by 2030.

“Our cargo division is implementing a series of strategic measures aimed at fostering growth and strengthening our market presence. The large passenger belly capacity addition will be augmented with the launch of value-added products and services across the network.”

The airline, which was acquired by the Tata Group at the end of 2021, said it is investing in IT “to strengthen the use of technology, including blockchain, AI, and drones to optimise productivity”.

Short-term changes have been implemented in the existing IT cargo system to enhance efficiency in areas like electronic data interchange, connectivity with trade partners, and real-time updates on flight and shipment status.

Air India said that in collaboration with its joint venture partner SATS, it is committed to investing capital expenditure for developing airport and logistics infrastructure. The airline said it is also “exploring possibilities of augmenting freighter capacity” in collaboration with partners.