Chennai airport has seen a 19 per cent growth in international freight handling in the quarter ended June 2025 — the highest growth among all the major airports.
In the corresponding quarter last fiscal, the neighbouring Bengaluru airport (BIAL) was ahead of Chennai. However, Chennai has overtaken Bengaluru this fiscal, largely due to increase in export volume of Apple iPhones and import of electronic components.
The Chennai airport in the first quarter handled 82,844 tonnes of international freight as against 69,629 tonnes in the corresponding quarter last year. In comparison, Bengaluru handled 80,075 tonnes in June 2025 quarter compared to 79,014 tonnes in the year-ago period, according to Airports Authority of India data.
At the Chennai airport, only electronics inbound/outbound is on the increase, said Dinesh Krishnan, Founder & MD of United Shipping Services Pvt Ltd and Chairman, Southern Region, The Air Cargo Agents Association of India. “We see an increase in trend due to tariff fears and there was stock cleared out by exporters of these commodities by air, especially iPhone mostly,” he added. It would be interesting to see if Chennai continues to see the high growth momentum going forward, he said.
“Chennai’s core strength has always been a skilled, peaceful and abundant blue collar workforce. This advantage has made the hardware industries not to shift focus from Chennai. The biggest and most gratifying statement for this is Foxconn’s iPhone assembly plant. China plus one for Apple has helped air cargo throughput at Chennai airport,” said J Krishnan of S Natesa Iyer Logistics LLP, a Chennai-based freight forwarder.
Overall, Delhi airport tops the list with a handling of 181,130 tonnes in June 2025 quarter as against 178,400 tonnes, a growth of 1.5 per cent. Mumbai airport was second with 1,68,592 tonnes (1,61,782 tonnes). Chennai was third, and Bengaluru was fourth, the data says.
