From September, the latest international cargo operator to boost Navi Mumbai International Airport’s (NMI) emerging freight network. MASkargo will shift its dedicated freighter operations at Mumbai from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to NMI.
The decision was confirmed to The STAT Trade Times by MASkargo’s Chief Executive Officer Jason Thomas. “The airline will commence operations with one weekly service using an Airbus A330-200F freighter to Navi Mumbai. MASkargo currently flies three Airbus A330-200F freighters and has two dedicated cargo destinations in India, Mumbai and Chennai.
The move follows CSMIA’s plan to temporarily suspend dedicated freighter services to undertake a major upgrade to the infrastructure. Cargo freighter services will also be halted while the airport closes its main runway for major rehabilitation work from August 2026 through May 2027.
The project is for re-carpeting of Runway 09/27 of CSMIA, which is managed and operated by Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL). Due to the works the runway will be closed for large parts of the day and therefore it will not be possible to continue dedicated freighter operations throughout the construction period.
The temporary re-routing of cargo flights will likely support the airlines to continue their operations while also strengthening the position of Navi Mumbai International Airport as a growing cargo hub. As more international freight operators move their operations during the runway upgrade, NMI is expected to play a bigger role in managing air-cargo traffic in the Mumbai metro region.
