18/11/2025
Chennai Airport Cargo: Celebrating a Step Forward, Demanding a Leap Ahead.
The recent news about Chennai Airport (MAA) taking the 3rd spot in International Cargo Handling in H1 is a welcome sign and a testament to the potential of our region. We are always happy to see positive numbers for our Air Cargo Complex, Chennai (ACCMAA).
The Reality Check: An Urgent Call for Sustained Growth
However, as stakeholders in the Tamil Nadu Trade, we must look beyond fleeting H1 highlights and address the underlying systemic issues.
Tonnage Volatility: The positive momentum appears to be short-lived. Since October 2025, the total tonnage has disappointingly tanked to 25,967 tonnes (Export: 11,831 MT; Import: 14,136 MT). This volatility underscores a need for stability and strategic management.
The Cost of Inaction: For years, we have advocated for long-term business development plans, improved customer service, and critical CAPEX investment from the government to meet the high demand for efficient air cargo operations. Unfortunately, the decade-long lack of sustained development has left the terminal's capacity underutilised by over 50%.
Lost Revenue and Migration: Once the #1 air cargo and passenger gateway of South India, MAA's poor patronage has led most Tamil Nadu-based businesses and cargo to migrate to competing hubs like Bengaluru (BLR), Kochi (COK), and Hyderabad (HYD). This mass migration is costing the TN state millions in lost revenue and adding significant road transport costs for moving cargo and passengers out-of-state for uplift.
The Solution: Embracing a PPP Model for Strategic Assets
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) is adept at establishing new airport infrastructure, but managing and operating large, highly competitive hubs like Chennai (MAA) and Kolkata (CCU) profitably and efficiently to meet modern service demands is a different challenge.
For a strategic and critical sector like air cargo, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model remains the best suited approach. It is essential to ensure:
Continuous Growth: Long-term investment driven by commercial viability.
Competitive Service: Benchmarking against world-class, private-run airports in India (BLR, HYD, etc.).
Long-term Development: Shielding critical infrastructure from bureaucratic inertia and ensuring agility to meet global trade demands.
We urge the policymakers to prioritize the long-term vision and implement a robust PPP model for MAA's air cargo and overall operations to unlock its full potential as the primary economic gateway of South India.
The Chennai airport has taken the third spot in international cargo handling in first half of this fiscal, overtaking its biggest and nearest competitor - Bengaluru - by a whisker.