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Lufthansa Cargo Suspends Mumbai Freighter Services Amid Airport Congestion

Lufthansa Cargo Suspends Mumbai Freighters

Lufthansa Cargo

News: Lufthansa Cargo has paused freighter operations to Mumbai from September 20 through September 30, 2026, citing operational challenges linked to a major construction project at the airport.

The airport operator attributed the congestion to a mix of factors: elevated cargo volumes ahead of the festive season, a rise in time-sensitive shipments, and growing volumes of non-standard, oversized cargo requiring specialised handling.

The disruption has pushed truck waiting times at the airport to roughly three days, prompting logistics firms to warn customers of extended shipping delays. Other international carriers have also restricted freighter operations at Mumbai due to infrastructure constraints and ground-handling limitations. Cargo carried on passenger flights is unaffected. Lufthansa said it expects to resume operations on October 1, coinciding with the newly opened Navi Mumbai International Airport.

For shippers and freight forwarders relying on Mumbai for air cargo during the pre-festive peak, the suspension is a near-term capacity risk that adds urgency to diversifying routing options, including through NMIA as it scales up.