Lufthansa Cargo shifts freighter operations to Navi Mumbai

Dhaka: Lufthansa Cargo has started freighter operations at Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), joining a growing list of airlines shifting operations to the new hub amid reports of operational challenges there.

The cargo arm of German carrier Lufthansa announced the move in a social media post on October 14, noting its first Boeing 777F freighter landed at NMIA earlier that week.

The airline said the shift comes as Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) undergoes expansion work aimed at boosting capacity and efficiency. Lufthansa Cargo will continue handling belly-hold cargo at CSMIA, where its passenger flights still operate.

Anand Kulkarni, the airline's Head of Global Markets, called India a strategically vital growth market, adding that the NMIA connection would ensure customers continue benefiting from reliable capacity and integration into Lufthansa's global network.

CSMIA had announced in January that it planned to suspend freighter operations for 10 months, starting in August, to carry out cargo infrastructure upgrades. Freighter operators were asked to temporarily relocate to NMIA during the works.

Although NMIA opened in December, freighter activity did not begin until August 1, when an IndiGo freighter departed from the airport. Carriers including Silk Way West, Cathay Cargo, and Hong Kong Air Cargo have since confirmed similar shifts.

Not all operators, however, have found the transition smooth. European cargo airline, Challenge Group, recently suspended its NMIA freighter flights, saying the current setup does not yet allow it to deliver services with the reliability it requires, though it described the decision as deliberate rather than forced by circumstances beyond its control.

Emirates has also raised concerns, reportedly saying that NMIA is not yet ready for international operations, including cargo warehousing, and it intends to keep its operations at CSMIA for now.