Mumbai: The demand for Maharashtra's Alphonso and Gujarat's Kesar mangoes is consistently increasing as Air India transported more than 1,000 tonnes of fresh produce between March and May. Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has held its dominance of a key hub for mango exports by air, facilitating air freight from Dubai to New Jersey.
CSMIA's Dominance in Mango Exports
Every summer, CSMIA plays a major role in taking India's prized mangoes to the world. Last year, the country's second-busiest airport managed 3,624 metric tonnes of mango export, marking a remarkable 9% rise from the previous year.
According to the data released by Air India, the airline transported more than 3,300 tonnes of fresh produce, including over 1,000 tonnes of mangoes, across its network in the last three months. In March, as the first consignments began to move, Air India carried 805 tonnes of fruits and vegetables. By April, at the peak of the harvest, that number had risen to 1,275 tonnes, before remaining strong in May at 1,233 tonnes.
Western Belt Origin & International Destinations
According to Air India, much of this volume traces back to India’s western belt, particularly the mango farms of Maharashtra and Gujarat, where the Alphonso and Kesar varieties are grown. The airline added that Mumbai becomes the season’s logistical nerve centre due to its proximity to this agricultural heartland. It added that London Heathrow saw as much as 180 tonnes of weekly uplift from Mumbai during peak weeks during these three months. Frankfurt received around 40 tonnes, while Dubai, Newark and New York JFK each absorbed roughly 30 tonnes weekly.
Air India flights from Delhi also carry perishable cargo to far-flung cities like San Francisco, Toronto, Paris, Hong Kong and Sydney. It handles over 4 lakh tonnes of cargo annually. The carrier operates cold-storage and active-container capabilities across 14 airports, including major hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, and New York's JFK and Newark airports.
Air India's head of cargo Ramesh Mamidala said, “Transporting over 1,000 tonnes of mangoes in just three months reflects both the scale of demand and the robustness of our cold-chain processes. Perishables require meticulous handling, and our teams work closely with partners to maintain consistency and quality at every step.”
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