IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG) hosted a roundtable at the JW Marriott Hotel in New Delhi to discuss key air cargo trends and business updates. Speakers included David Shepherd, Chief Executive Officer at IAG Cargo, Kapil Madhok, Regional Manager, Air Services, India Sub-Continent Region at Expeditors, Camilo Garcia Cervera, Chief Sales and Marketing Office at IAG Cargo, and Yashpal Sharma, President of Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI), moderated by Ankush Chawla, South Asia Commercial Manager for IAG Cargo.

As the world adapts to the new normal post the pandemic, India has emerged as a global powerhouse for the production and exportation of key goods such as pharmaceuticals, high-tech e-commerce such as mobile phones, and fresh produce.

This growth is reflected in data from IAG Cargo: operating 56 flights per week from India across 5 routes, the company has seen a 31% increase in tonnage versus last year – with notable increase in Constant Climate, Fresh and Courier services.

David Shepherd, Chief Executive Officer, IAG Cargo said: “This is my first trip to India since re-joining the business and I am delighted to be back. India is an exceptionally important part of our global network. Every day we connect customers through five gateways in India to the UK and onto our expansive network. Next week, we will increase our capacity going into – and out of – Delhi through up gauging services from the current 787s with A350s. With incredibly strong pharmaceutical, high-tech and fresh produce industries, we are always looking for ways to support this growth.”

David Shepherd

As the pharmaceutical, high-tech, and fresh produce industries increase across India, Kapil Madhok at Expeditors noted that not only does the number of exports grow – but so does the level of imports as specific materials and tools are required. As the 11th largest exporting trade partner for India, the UK is an incredibly important route. Earlier this year, IAG Cargo unveiled their state-of-the-art facility, New Premia, in London, which has allowed double the volume of express, pharmaceutical and specialist cargo to be managed every day – further supporting this important trade route.

Camilo Garcia Cervera, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, IAG Cargo said: “To support growth across the network, we will continue to invest in our digital platforms, with ongoing enhancements to our online booking capabilities throughout 2023 and into 2024. In India, we are witnessing growing customer adoption of digital booking services – which further emphasises the importance of our technological investments.”

With an increasing amount of cargo coming into and out of India, digitalisation has been important for streamlining the process. India has a strong history of digital adoption and has one of the highest usages of digital across the IAG Cargo network with 83.1% of all applicable bookings being made digitally.