1st phase of Noida airport’s cargo terminal ready, to give north logistics boost

Noida: The multi-modal cargo hub (MMCH) coming up at Jewar is set to start operations once international flight services begin from the airport later this year.
To handle 2.5 lakh tonnes of cargo annually in its first phase, the cargo hub, spanning 87 acres, will be the first in the country to have direct connectivity between an international cargo terminal (ICT) and an integrated warehousing and logistics zone (IWLZ).
Ramanathan Rajamani, CEO of Air India SATS (AISATS), which is developing the cargo terminal, told TOI that the ICT phase 1 building was ready. "Caster deck and motorised workstations for handling cargo unit load devices (ULDs) have been installed. Screening equipment will be ready by April," he said.
At IWLZ, a parking centre to accommodate 42 trucks simultaneously and a docking zone at ICT for 27 heavy vehicles is also ready.
AISATS is a joint venture between Air India Limited and Singapore Airport Terminal Services.
ICT, developed on 30 acres, will cater to general, perishables, pharmaceuticals, express courier and special cargo such as dangerous, valuable and vulnerable goods. To reduce turnaround time for shipments, it will have a cloud-based cargo management system, designed for air cargo terminals with track-and-trace systems.
The cargo hub, Rajamani said, seeks to position India, especially its northern region, as a key gateway in global logistics and an alternative for companies' China Plus One strategy.
"MMCH's next-gen infrastructure has the potential to make Noida International Airport a vital link within global supply chains, mitigating reliance on a single geographic point and offering a best-in-class infrastructure, especially for electronics, agri-perishables, and temperature-sensitive shipments," he said.
"China Plus One" refers to a business strategy in which companies avoid investing only in China and diversify their businesses to alternative destinations to counter supply chain dependencies and vulnerabilities.
The cargo hub will also have express cargo lanes for rapid processing of time-sensitive shipments, such as e-commerce goods and high-value cargo. "To enhance end-to-end connectivity, we are collaborating with e-commerce platforms, third-party logistics providers, and regulatory agencies to streamline coordination across multiple transport modes," Rajamani said.
It will have a single-window airport cargo community system connecting airlines, freight forwarders, customs brokers, importer/exporters, regulatory bodies and other stakeholders to facilitate real-time data exchange, cargo visibility and process automation. AISATS will collaborate with international and domestic cargo agents to develop MMCH as a next-generation cargo hub capable of handling electronics, garments, auto components, pharmaceuticals, perishables, and high-value shipments.
"The response from leading logistics players has been highly encouraging, with strong interest from global freight forwarders and electronics giants," Rajamani said.
AISATS is also aligning MMCH with the UP Food Processing Industry Policy 2023 to leverage benefits for cold storage, agri-processing, and logistics infrastructure. With UP govt planning to develop a fruit-based processing unit near the cargo hub, a state-of-the-art coolport to manage agri-perishables and other temperature-sensitive cargo will come up at MMCH in phase 2.
Last month, govt set up a panel to study a financial model for the processing unit that will export tinned fruits and juices, all sourced from farmers in Jewar and surrounding districts. Officials stated the proposed processing unit will be integrated with a coolport system developed by AISATS. The World Bank will likely provide Rs 350 crore to establish this facility.