Ahmedabad: Even as the ongoing West Asia crisis continues to disrupt global aviation routes and add to operating costs for airlines, Ahmedabad’s international air cargo business is showing little sign of slowing down. Exports of pharmaceuticals, engineering products and chemicals helped Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport register strong growth in international freight volumes in April, bucking the trend seen at several major airports across the country.The airport handled 5,893.7 metric tonnes (MT) of international cargo in April 2026, a jump of 35.1% from 4,361 MT recorded in April 2025. The performance stands out at a time when major cargo gateways such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad reportedly saw average declines of around 5% in freight traffic during the same period.The momentum has been building for several months.In Feb 2026, international cargo volumes at SVPI touched 5,995.6MT, up 63% from 3,679.5MT in Feb 2025. March also recorded healthy growth, with freight volumes rising 17.7% to 5,324.9MT from 4,523.3MT a year earlier.
Ahmedabad air cargo
Airport officials attributed the sustained rise to a combination of strong export demand and improved cargo-handling infrastructure, particularly the integrated cargo terminal developed at the airport.Engineering goods accounted for the largest share of exports moving through Ahmedabad, followed by pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fabrics, courier shipments and seasonal exports of mangoes, airport sources said.Imports, too, remained strong. Engineering products topped the list, followed by electronic and electrical goods, pharmaceuticals, machinery components and garments.Industry representatives said changing global logistics patterns have also worked in Ahmedabad’s favour. “Uncertainty in maritime logistics and longer shipping transit times prompted several exporters to shift critical and time-sensitive consignments from sea to air freight. Gujarat also continues to witness healthy demand from European markets, particularly for engineering and pharma products, which contributed significantly to the increase in cargo volumes despite disruptions caused by the West Asia crisis,” said ICC Gujarat president Pathik Patwari.The growth is particularly noteworthy because airlines operating international routes have been dealing with longer flying distances and higher costs as a result of airspace restrictions and geopolitical tensions in West Asia. Despite these challenges, exporters in Gujarat have continued to rely on air cargo for high-value and time-sensitive shipments, helping Ahmedabad emerge as one of the brighter spots in the country’s air freight sector.
