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Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) has announced a series of corrective measures to address operational concerns raised by customs brokers and other air cargo stakeholders over cargo handling at Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The measures include additional manpower, improved cargo updates, a 24/7 customer helpdesk and a waiver of additional demurrage charges until October 15, 2026.
The move follows a letter from the Brihanmumbai Customs Brokers' Association (BCBA) to Customs authorities highlighting operational challenges at the airport's cargo terminal. The concerns emerged as freighter operations transitioned from Mumbai's primary airport to NMIA. Challenge Group had also suspended its freighter operations to the airport, citing operational difficulties.
In its October 3 response to BCBA, NMIAL acknowledged the difficulties experienced by the trade during the transition and apologised for the inconvenience. The airport operator said it would provide freight forwarders with more timely information on flight clearances and clearer delivery timelines, enabling consignees and logistics partners to plan cargo collections more effectively.
NMIAL will also work more closely with Customs House Agents (CHAs) to address system-related issues and provide additional assistance to customers during the transition. To improve cargo turnaround, the airport operator plans to deploy more experienced personnel across its existing workforce.
As an immediate relief measure, NMIAL has decided to waive additional demurrage charged after the applicable free period until October 15. The waiver is intended to reduce the financial impact on stakeholders affected by cargo processing and delivery delays.
The airport has further established a 24/7 helpdesk for import and export customers at the CHA Lobby on the ground floor of the Gate Block Building at the NMIA Cargo Terminal. The facility includes Level 1 and escalation-level contacts for resolving customer issues.
The corrective measures come as NMIA scales up its international cargo operations and works towards establishing itself as a major air cargo gateway for the Mumbai region. Industry stakeholders are expected to closely monitor improvements in cargo processing, customs coordination, manpower deployment and delivery timelines as operations stabilise.
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 CARGOCONNECT 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬!
FedEx has secured IATA CEIV Pharma certification for its Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa hub at Dubai World Central (DWC), UAE, strengthening its capabilities for handling pharmaceutical and other temperature-sensitive healthcare shipments. The certification follows a rigorous assessment against more than 280 criteria, covering operational processes, storage facilities, equipment, quality management systems and regulatory compliance. The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) CEIV Pharma programme is designed to assess and enhance capabilities for the safe and compliant handling of time- and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical cargo. Spread across 57,000 square metres, the FedEx DWC hub is equipped with advanced automation, high-speed security screening and dedicated dangerous goods handling facilities. It also features a 170-square-metre temperature-controlled storage area designed to support sensitive healthcare shipments. The certification further expands FedEx’s global healthcare logistics capabilities. The company reached 30 IATA CEIV Pharma certifications across its global air hubs and cargo handling facilities in August 2026, reinforcing its focus on consistent pharmaceutical handling standards across its international network. For the Indian Subcontinent, the DWC hub serves as an important gateway connecting regional businesses with FedEx’s wider global network. The certification comes as pharmaceutical and life sciences supply chains increasingly require reliable cold-chain infrastructure, stringent compliance and greater shipment visibility. FedEx is also using digital technologies to strengthen monitoring of healthcare shipments. Its AI-powered FedEx Surround monitoring and intervention solution, combined with FedEx SenseAware sensor technology, provides near real-time information on package location, temperature and environmental conditions. This enables proactive intervention when shipment conditions require attention. “Achieving the CEIV Pharma certification reflects our continued commitment to delivering healthcare logistics services that meet the highest international standards,” said Taarek Hinedi, Vice President Operations and Planning & Engineering, FedEx Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa. The DWC certification also supports the UAE’s ambitions to strengthen its position as a regional healthcare and life sciences hub, while providing pharmaceutical companies with additional access to specialised air cargo infrastructure and temperature-controlled logistics capabilities. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 CARGOCONNECT 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬!
Global air freight demand continued to strengthen in September 2026, prompting shippers to favour shorter-term and more flexible capacity agreements as rising demand, elevated rates and market volatility make long-term commitments increasingly difficult. According to data from Xeneta, global air freight volumes increased 6% year on year in September, following similar growth of 6% in August and 5% in July. Demand growth has outpaced capacity expansion, with global air cargo capacity rising only 2% year on year in September. As a result, Xeneta’s dynamic load factor increased by two percentage points to 62%. The tighter demand-capacity balance has also kept freight rates elevated. Global air cargo spot rates averaged $3.10 per kg in September, 27% higher than a year earlier and 2% above August. Seasonal demand at the end of the third quarter, alongside higher jet fuel costs and geopolitical tensions, contributed to the firmer pricing environment. Against this backdrop, shippers are increasingly avoiding lengthy fixed-rate commitments. Xeneta data shows that 60% of new air freight contracts starting in the third quarter of 2026 were for three months or less, compared with 25% during the same period in 2025 and 47% in the second quarter of 2026. Three-month contracts represented 42% of new agreements, up sharply from 16% a year earlier. In contrast, the proportion of 12-month contracts fell from 40% to 25%, while agreements exceeding one year accounted for just 3%. Niall van de Wouw, Chief Airfreight Officer at Xeneta, said shippers are increasingly looking for “floating mechanisms” that combine a base rate with adjustments reflecting changes in market conditions. “There is a high degree of realism in the way shippers are approaching the market. There remains a lot of instability and that’s making it almost impossible for shippers to make long-term capacity deals without having T&Cs in place to deal with these volatile conditions.” The shift reflects a broader move towards flexibility and transparency in air freight procurement. Shippers are seeking arrangements that can respond to changing capacity, demand and pricing rather than locking them into annual rates that may quickly become misaligned with market conditions. Xeneta expects global air freight demand to grow by around 4% in 2026. However, the company anticipates a relatively subdued peak season, with limited signs of a major fourth-quarter surge so far. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 CARGOCONNECT 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬!
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a SATS company, has inaugurated a new air cargo terminal at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport in France, strengthening cargo-handling capacity and consolidating its operations at one location within the airport’s CargoPort zone. The Aéroport de Lyon DC1 facility is directly connected to the airport’s airside infrastructure and has been designed to improve cargo flows, operational efficiency and supply chain reliability. The 25,313-square-metre facility, developed by logistics real estate company Prologis with Groupe em2c overseeing design, construction coordination and technical supervision, represents WFS’ second-largest operation in France after Paris Charles de Gaulle. WFS has operated at Lyon Airport since 1971 and will now centralise its local activities at the new terminal, supporting 380 customers in the region. The facility comprises 19,200 square metres of warehouse space across three cargo-handling units, including 4,400 square metres of temperature-controlled cold-storage areas. It also features 36 loading doors, including five dedicated to air freight pallet transfers, enabling smoother movement between landside access, cargo-handling areas and airside operations. The new terminal is particularly positioned to support high-value and temperature-sensitive cargo, including pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, biotechnology shipments and perishables. The development is expected to strengthen Lyon’s role in national and European logistics flows, while supporting more than 300 direct and indirect jobs associated with the facility. Laurent Bernard, Vice-President France at WFS, said: “Aéroport de Lyon DC1 represents a new milestone for WFS in Lyon, where we first commenced operations in 1971. Its design, temperature-controlled areas, and organisation of cargo flows enable us to strengthen our capacity and operational efficiency to handle sensitive and high value goods for our airline and freight forwarder customers. Given Lyon’s strategically important location, industrial base, and high-value economic sectors, this new generation of logistics infrastructure reinforces Lyon’s position in national and European logistics flows and will strengthen the economic attractiveness of the region.” The facility is also targeting a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating, with sustainability considerations incorporated into its design. Its roof is solar-ready to accommodate a future photovoltaic installation. The project brings together Aéroports de Lyon, WFS, Prologis and Groupe em2c, creating infrastructure tailored to the evolving requirements of air cargo. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 CARGOCONNECT 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬!
