Air India has recorded a sharp increase in cargo volumes on its Chennai-Delhi-Frankfurt corridor, following the launch of India’s new domestic-to-international cargo transshipment framework.
The proof-of-concept operation, launched on June 20, 2026, has helped Air India more than double average daily cargo volumes on the route from 2.2 tonnes to 4.5 tonnes within two months.
The initiative has also significantly improved cargo connectivity through Delhi. Average cargo connection time at Delhi Airport fell from around 48 hours to approximately eight hours, while Air India’s Flown-as-Booked performance improved from 76% to 100%. The airline also reported no cargo loss or damage during the trial.
The improvement follows the government’s decision to remove mandatory re-screening of eligible transshipment cargo at the intermediate airport. Under the revised framework, securely packed cargo can move through Delhi without being opened and screened again, reducing handling requirements, delays and terminal congestion.
Since the start of the Chennai-Delhi-Frankfurt trial, around 280 tonnes of cargo has been transshipped through Delhi, while aircraft capacity utilisation increased from about 75% to nearly 100%.
Following the success of the pilot, the government has expanded the transshipment network. Four additional domestic origins — Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Hyderabad — have been added, along with London and Copenhagen as new international destinations. Frankfurt remains part of the network.
The expanded network is expected to increase Air India’s monthly cargo carriage on the covered routes from 1,763 tonnes to 3,183 tonnes, representing growth of nearly 80%.
For Indian exporters, the policy could provide faster access to European markets by allowing cargo originating in major Indian production centres to connect through Delhi with fewer handling and security-processing delays.
The development also supports the government’s broader objective of establishing India as a global air cargo transshipment hub, using the country’s geographic position between major markets in Asia, Europe and beyond.
Air India’s results from the Chennai-Delhi-Frankfurt trial demonstrate the potential of streamlined transshipment procedures to improve aircraft utilisation, reduce cargo dwell times and make Indian airports more competitive as international logistics gateways.