India's airport expansion is shifting from reactive to proactive planning, with projects such as Navi Mumbai International Airport designed around cargo and logistics efficiency, reports London's Aviation Week.

Passenger traffic reached 375 million journeys in 2024, while air cargo volumes topped 3.3 million tonnes. Government policy targets envisage throughput of 10 million tonnes by 2030, requiring airports to function as integrated logistics platforms embedded in trade and manufacturing ecosystems.

Navi Mumbai has been structured with cargo zones, bonded logistics parks and multimodal connectivity to support high-value, time-sensitive freight. Delhi and Mumbai currently handle over 60 per cent of India's air cargo, exposing vulnerabilities during demand spikes. A parallel gateway on the western seaboard is expected to reduce dwell times and improve customs clearance.

Other hubs are also upgrading. Hyderabad has strengthened pharmaceutical handling, Bengaluru is scaling perishables and electronics exports, and Chennai has invested in automotive logistics. These developments reflect both global shipper expectations and domestic policy ambitions.

Tier two and tier three airports such as Guwahati, Indore, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli and Bhubaneswar are being repositioned as feeders within cargo networks. Investments in apron expansion, night-landing and modular sheds support e-commerce growth and faster domestic line-haul.

Policy coherence between the National Civil Aviation Policy and National Logistics Policy aims to cut logistics costs from 13-14 per cent of GDP toward global benchmarks. Over the next five years, India is expected to add more than 200 million passengers of airport capacity and significant cargo capability, with air freight demand forecast to expand faster than passenger growth.