IndiGo operated a cargo flight from Navi Mumbai to Sharjah on Saturday, marking the launch of freighter services at the greenfield airport.IndiGo operated its Airbus A321 freighter carrying a mix of perishables and general cargo to Sharjah. The airline has been operating ad hoc freighter flights from Mumbai to Sharjah. It now plans to have regular freighter service from Navi Mumbai, taking advantage of high demand and increased rates between India and West Asia.Other airlines are also firming up their plans to start freighter services from Navi Mumbai. Hong Kong Air Cargo has filed for slots and is seeking authorisation to operate flights to Mumbai. Air France-KLM is working on shifting its operations from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai.The shift comes as Mumbai International Airport Ltd intends to suspend freighter flights in order to carry out airside improvement works.However, it is not the planned suspension of freighter movements in Mumbai that is driving airlines’ plans. “Mumbai airport has slot constraints. Getting a parking space for long duration is also a challenge. Navi Mumbai doesn’t have any of these problems. Further, there are several industries around and it is closer to Pune which also makes it attractive for cargo operations,” an aviation source remarked.For IndiGo, the new airport also presents growth opportunities and a chance to improve aircraft utilisation. The airline has three freighters which fly to China and Vietnam in addition to ad hoc flights. IndiGo was operating a freighter between Bengaluru and Dubai in partnership with FedEx and that service has been halted following the outbreak of Iran-US tensions.IndiGo earned cargo revenue of ₹2,483 crore in FY26, a growth of 9.6 per cent over the previous year.“During the year, IndiGo carried approximately 450,000 tonnes of cargo across its network, supported by an extensive domestic and international footprint, high-frequency operations, and expanding long-haul connectivity,” the airline’s managing director Rahul Bhatia said in a message to shareholders last week.Published on August 2, 2026