NEW DELHI: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday said that despite the pandemic, the cargo sector in India grew by 19 per cent during the last two years. "In a period of two years, revenue from cargo has grown and this has enabled Indian cargo carriers to stand on their own feet," Scindia told members of the Rajya Sabha.
“Air cargo had a stellar year in 2021. For many airlines, it provided a vital source of revenue as passenger demand remained in the doldrums due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. Growth opportunities, however, were lost due to the pressures of labor shortages and constraints across the logistics system. Overall, economic conditions do point towards a strong 2022,” said Willie Walsh, International Air Transporters Association (IATA’s) Director General.
In India too, the transportation of essential goods was primarily done by air during the outbreak of the pandemic. This enabled air cargo operators to stay afloat. In fact some carriers like Spicejet converted their passenger aircraft into cargo carriers to transport essential goods, and also earn revenues.
"Since the lockdown was imposed, transportation of many goods and essential services was done by air in India, and even overseas. And despite the reduction in passenger loads, cargo loads continued to be on the rise in India," said an
expert on civil aviation.
Meanwhile, with the government announcing the resumption of all scheduled international operations from March 27, there is hope of increase in passenger loads too.
"We have announced that all scheduled operators can fly from all destinations now," Scindia added.