Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited (AISATS) and CONCOR Air Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen multimodal cargo connectivity between CONCOR’s Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Dadri and AISATS’ integrated cargo terminal at Noida International Airport (NIA).
Under the partnership, customs-cleared transhipment cargo will be moved from CONCOR’s Dadri ICD to the AISATS Integrated Cargo Terminal at NIA for onward international dispatch by air. The arrangement is expected to create a more seamless link between inland freight networks and international markets, enabling faster and more efficient cargo movement across the logistics value chain.
Dadri is a strategically important inland freight hub and is connected to major western maritime gateways, including Nhava Sheva and Mundra Port, through the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). By linking this rail-connected inland network with NIA’s air cargo infrastructure, the partnership can provide exporters and shippers with an integrated inland-to-air freight solution.
The MoU signing was attended by senior executives from AISATS, CONCOR and their parent organisations, including Bob Chi, CEO, Gateway Services, Asia-Pacific; Ramanathan Rajamani, CEO, AISATS; Salim Chaudhary, Chief Operations Officer, AISATS; Vikas Agarwal, Chief Financial Officer, AISATS; Vijoy Kumar Singh, Director (International Marketing & Operations, Projects & Services), Container Corporation of India (CONCOR); Narmadeshwar Jha, Chief Executive Officer, CONCOR Air Ltd; and Vivek Gupta, Director (Finance), CONCOR.
“This partnership strengthens our connectivity with inland freight networks and supports Noida International Airport’s emergence as a critical gateway for international air cargo,” said Ramanathan Rajamani, CEO, AISATS. He added that the collaboration with CONCOR Air would help build a seamless link between inland logistics and international dispatch while reinforcing NIA’s position as a hub for global shippers.
According to AISATS, the collaboration will bring together CONCOR’s inland logistics and customs-cleared cargo handling capabilities with AISATS’ air cargo terminal operations, creating a more integrated pathway for cargo moving from inland facilities to international air freight.
The AISATS facility at Noida International Airport spans 87 acres and includes an integrated cargo terminal and an integrated warehousing and logistics zone. The multimodal cargo hub is designed to handle diverse cargo categories, including perishables, pharmaceuticals, electronics, engineering goods, e-commerce shipments and express cargo.
“This collaboration marks an important step in strengthening the inland-to-air logistics chain for India’s EXIM trade,” said Narmadeshwar Jha, CEO, CONCOR Air Ltd. “By closing the gap between our container depot at Dadri and the international gateway at Noida, we are able to offer exporters and shippers a faster, more reliable pathway for customs-cleared cargo.”
The partnership comes as Noida International Airport positions itself as a key logistics gateway for northern India. At the foundation-laying ceremony for the airport in November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described the project as a logistics gateway for northern India and said it would help establish Uttar Pradesh on the global logistics map.
The AISATS-CONCOR Air collaboration is therefore significant beyond the movement of cargo between two facilities. By connecting an inland container depot with an international air cargo gateway, the partnership can strengthen the integration of India’s rail, road, sea and air freight networks and support more efficient EXIM cargo flows.
