Lufthansa Cargo has temporarily suspended its freighter services to Mumbai International Airport, with logistics companies warning customers of extended shipping delays amid severe cargo congestion at the airport.
The cargo arm of Lufthansa Group has paused freighter operations to Mumbai from September 20 through the end of the month due to operational challenges linked to a major construction project at the airport, a Lufthansa Cargo spokesperson told FreightWaves.
Mumbai airport operator Adani Airports, meanwhile, attributed the congestion to a sharp increase in cargo volumes.
In a statement earlier this month, the airport operator said Mumbai Airport was experiencing elevated cargo volumes ahead of the festive season, alongside increased movement of time-sensitive shipments through air cargo channels. The growing volume of non-standard and odd-sized cargo has also added pressure on terminal operations, requiring specialised handling, additional processing time and greater staging space.
The congestion has reportedly pushed truck waiting times at the airport to as much as three days.
Lufthansa Cargo, which operates a fleet of 12 Boeing 777 freighters, is scheduled to resume freighter services to Mumbai on October 1, but operations will shift to the newly opened Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The airline currently operates all-cargo services to Mumbai six times a week. Several international carriers are also moving their scheduled freighter operations to Navi Mumbai. Hong Kong-based Cathay Cargo shifted its freighter operations to the new airport earlier this week.
Lufthansa Cargo said the temporary suspension of freighter services has not affected cargo transported on Lufthansa Group’s passenger flights.
Meanwhile, logistics providers are warning customers of continued disruption. Houston-based Crane Worldwide Logistics said several airlines have temporarily suspended or significantly restricted freighter operations because of airport infrastructure constraints, cargo backlogs and ground-handling limitations. However, it was not immediately clear w
