Navi Mumbai continues to expand freighter operations with Silk Way flights

Recently opened Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has continued to roll out its cargo operations with the start of freighter flights by Silk Way West.

The Baku-headquartered airline conducted its first flight to the Indian airport on 15 September, when a Boeing 777 freighter arrived carrying close to 90 tonnes of import cargo.

The airport said that the new service strengthens cargo connectivity between Navi Mumbai and Baku, supporting cargo movement between India, the CIS region, Europe, West Asia and beyond, while further strengthening NMIA’s position as an emerging cargo gateway for western India.

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.

All-cargo operations since then have continued to ramp up, with Hong Kong Air Cargo and Cathay Cargo both due to shift their freighter flights to the airport.

Further freighter flights should switch to Navi Mumbai from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport as upgrade work is being carried out there and freighter operations are being suspended for 10 months.

The airport operator, a joint venture between the Adani Group and the Airports Authority of India, said that during that time it would look to “completely” rebuild the cargo aircraft apron, which it described as “worn out”.

Freighter flights at CSMI were due to end in August.