Perishables fuel Air India's cargo growth amid cold chain overhaul

Air India's perishables cargo rose 37% in two years as it expanded cold chain infrastructure, added tech tools, and grew flight capacity on key international routes

Perishables such as fruits, vegetables, fish, seafood, meat, and flowers are rapidly becoming a strong part of Air India’s air cargo business, with the segment posting a 37 per cent growth over the past two years as a result of rising demand and strategic investments in cold chain logistics and infrastructure. 

In 2024-25, Air India transported 57,530 tonnes of perishables internationally, up from 49,703 tonnes in FY24 and 41,998 tonnes in FY23. Perishables now account for close to 30 per cent of the airline’s international cargo volumes and contribute 22 per cent of its international cargo revenue, an Air India spokesperson told Business Standard on Friday.

 

The airline’s overall international cargo volumes have also seen strong growth, rising from 137,358 tonnes in FY23 to 167,202 tonnes in FY24, and further to 216,076 tonnes in FY25. 

 

While overall international cargo growth outpaces the rise in perishables, the segment remains a critical part of Air India’s business, as reflected in the airline’s targeted investments. Over the past 2-3 years, Air India has significantly upgraded its cold chain logistics, adding active containers and cold storage facilities at 14 airports worldwide, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, New York (JFK), and Chicago, to meet international standards for temperature-sensitive shipments, the airline’s spokesperson said.

 

Air India has started providing packaging and container solutions tailored to a wide range of temperature requirements (-20 degree celsius to +25 degree celsius). The airline is also equipped with specialised tools such as cool dollies and thermal blankets for the safe transfer of cargo between warehouses and aircraft, the spokesperson noted. Moreover, its warehouses in Delhi and Mumbai feature multi-temperature cold rooms and are fitted with IoT (internet of things) sensors to monitor key variables like temperature, motion, and pressure in real time. 

 

The airline has forged global partnerships with leading supply chain service providers such as Envirotainer, DoKaSch, CSafe Global, and Va-Q-Tec for critical temperature-controlled shipments, including perishables and pharmaceuticals. It has now put a team of trained professionals to oversee temperature-sensitive cargo, equipped with international certifications and deep knowledge of food safety and storage requirements, the spokesperson noted.

 

Among the fastest-growing categories within perishables are mangoes. The airline exported nearly 1,000 tonnes of mangoes in April, a 15 per cent increase from April 2024. “The volume of mangoes carried in May has already exceeded April as the season peaked,” said an airline spokesperson. However, early monsoon showers may temper volumes in June.

 

This year’s growth is also aided by increased flight capacity on key international routes. “We now operate more weekly flights to Toronto and London Gatwick than we did last year, and have upgraded our Mumbai–London Heathrow service to the larger Boeing 777 aircraft,” the spokesperson added.

 

Domestically, the airline transported 14,593 tonnes of perishables in FY25, nearly doubling the 7,552 tonnes recorded the previous year. The

 

airline currently operates 3,842 domestic flights per week and 585 international flights per week, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.