Air India has signed up Menzies Aviation to provide cargo handling services at four locations.
The deal will see Menzies provide cargo warehouse services at Kuwait International Airport (KWI), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Sydney Airport (SYD) and Melbourne Airport (MEL).
Teams at the four locations are likely to handle approximately 9,000 tonnes of cargo in the first 12 months of the new agreement.
The tie-up is part of a wider deal that includes a mixture of passenger, ramp, de-icing and cleaning services at London Heathrow (LHR), Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Kuwait International Airport (KWI) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Last year, the Gurugram-based airline handled 250,000 tonnes of cargo and in 2023 added 100 aircraft to an existing order for 470 new aircraft.
It has plans to more than triple its cargo capacity over the coming years through the orders .
The airline group currently employs more than 30,000 people and operates 300 aircraft to 55 domestic and 48 international destinations.
Philipp Joeinig, chief executive of Menzies Aviation, said: “We’re excited to enter a new chapter in our relationship with Air India, expanding our footprint right across the globe.
“This latest win underscores the progress we are making on our ambitious growth plans and reflects the safe, secure and high-quality services that we offer our customers.”
The deal is the second handling partnership announced by the airline this year. In January, Air India awarded and renewed a range of deals with cargo handler WFS at locations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.
Following a global tendering process, the airline renewed 11 contracts and awarded 14 new contracts to SATS-owned WFS in locations including Chicago, Washington Dulles, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Frankfurt, Milan, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.