AIR CARG O WEEK


AIR CARGO INDIA, MUMBAI - PREVIEW F


AIR CARGO INDIA 2026 PUTS GROWTH, RISK AND RESILIENCE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE


10 BY Anastasiya SIMSEK


the 11th edition of Air Cargo India returns at a moment when optimism and unease are travelling side by side. Growth is real, but so are the frictions. Disruption is everywhere, yet strategy hasn’t always kept pace. This year’s conference agenda reflects that tension. From artificial


“


“We want to spend more time on verticals.”


intelligence and special cargo to drones and an ageing workforce, Air Cargo India 2026 will take a deep dive into the issues at the heart of India’s growth “We want to spend more time on verticals,” Schönberger explained. “Specific industries — automotive, technology, perishables.”


What the sessions say The conference opens on 25th February with a keynote theme that sets expectations early: Global air cargo: booming, but bumpy. The first panel tackles resilience — not as a buzzword, but as a necessity — in a session pointedly titled “Building air cargo resilience among known unknowns and unknown unknowns.” The timing is no accident. After the US revoked its de minimis exemption


for low-value imports, e-commerce supply chains are already being reworked. Brands are shifting fulfilment into Europe and other less restrictive markets. The result is a quiet but meaningful change in cargo mix: fewer individual parcels, more consolidated B2B shipments. At the same time, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America are emerging as


serious e-commerce growth markets in their own right. The question hanging over the panel is a simple one — can air cargo adapt fast enough? As the conference agenda puts it:“The nature of e-commerce cargo is


evolving from B2C parcels to B2B shipments of components, equipment, and wholesale goods… It is time to examine whether air cargo can adapt to these shifts and continue to thrive as the backbone of global e-commerce.” The second panel moves the conversation to yields. “Special cargo:


high yield, low volume — worth the lift?” asks whether pharmaceuticals, electronics and automotive components can compensate for tighter bellyhold capacity and stubborn cost pressures. Airlines and handlers are investing


ACW 09 FEBRUARY 2026 www.aircargoweek.com


India is always worth the stay,” Robert Schönberger of Messe München said ahead of Air Cargo India 2026. “For the air cargo industry, it’s the country of possibilities. It’s booming, there’s huge potential, and there’s still a lot that needs to be shipped.” From 25–27th February at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre,


heavily in premium infrastructure, from temperature-controlled facilities to specialist handling. The bet is that margins, not tonnes, will drive the next cycle. Artificial intelligence takes centre stage in the third panel, but not in the


abstract. “Air cargo in the age of artificial intelligence” looks at AI both as an operational tool and as a demand generator. The global AI build-out is fuelling shipments of semiconductor equipment, data-centre hardware and other high-value cargo. At the same time, predictive analytics, dynamic routing and real-time visibility are beginning to reset expectations across the supply chain.


Ambition meets constraint Day two turns the spotlight firmly on the host market: India’s 10-million- tonne annual cargo throughput by 2030 — bold target or bottleneck ahead? Today, India handles roughly 3.5 million tonnes of air cargo a year. Tripling


that volume in under a decade would require more than headline investment announcements. Infrastructure, policy alignment and airline capacity all need to move in sync. The government’s China-plus-one push is gaining traction, and global


manufacturers are paying attention. But domestic carrier market share remains limited, cargo facilities outside major hubs are uneven, and regulatory complexity has not vanished. The panel is expected to probe whether ambition and execution are finally lining up — or whether fragmentation will slow progress.


Drones and demographics On 26th February, the conference will explore


whether cargo drones reality. Forecasts are


ready to graduate from pilot projects to commercial


suggest


the UAV cargo market could reach US$17 billion by 2032, but the hurdles are familiar: regulation, range, cost and scalability. For now, drones remain promising — and constrained.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18