Why does India have no widebody freighters ?

The growth in air freight in India could result in an opportunity for the induction of larger freighter aircraft such as the B777-8 and A350F.

- ATUL CHANDRA

Air cargo is a fast-growing market in India, with IndiGo and SpiceXpress operating dedicated freighter aircraft in addition to air cargo operators such as Blue Dart, Pradhaan Air, Quikjet, etc. The growth of the market will further be aided by improved air cargo infrastructure in India, where cargo handling capacity has now reached 8 million MT in FY24, growing at 10 per cent plus annually, with a new focus on warehousing for perishables and streamlined customs protocols.

As per the Indian Ministry of Finance, air cargo handled at Indian airports increased by 7 per cent YoY to 33.7 lakh tonnes in FY24. As per a Mordor Intelligence report, India's Freight and Logistics Market size is estimated at $349.4 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach $545.6 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 9.32 per cent during the forecast period (2025-2030). The Government has set a goal of transporting 10 million tonnes of air freight by 2030, which will further support India's goal of becoming a developed country by 2047.

The requirement for air cargo services to support India's burgeoning e-commerce industry, as well as a growing export industry, has meant that the number of dedicated freighter aircraft operating in India is now nearing 20 aircraft. As per Boeing's World Air Cargo Forecast 2024, "Although still relatively small in volume compared to established e-commerce markets like China, the U.S., or the EU, Indian e-commerce volumes are growing faster than almost anywhere else at more than 25% per year."

The report goes on to state that economic growth, expanding manufacturing, and an enormous domestic consumer market will propel a fourfold increase in Indian air cargo over the next 20 years. This will necessitate the induction of larger widebody freighters based on Boeing 777 and Airbus A350.