Pune Airport Cargo Traffic Jumps 43.9% in First Eight Months of 2026

Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Viman Nagar, 6th October 2026: Pune Airport recorded a 43.9% increase in cargo handling during the first eight months of 2026, with more than 45,000 metric tonnes of cargo handled between January and August, according to figures cited by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol.

Pune Airport handled 45,050.7 metric tonnes of cargo between January and August 2026, compared with 31,303.7 metric tonnes during the corresponding period in 2025. The increase amounts to 13,747 metric tonnes, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 43.9%.

Cargo volumes increased consistently during all eight months of 2026. Monthly handling crossed the 6,000-metric-tonne mark in May and August. The airport recorded its highest monthly cargo volume in May, at 6,147.8 metric tonnes, followed by 6,046.8 metric tonnes in August.
August’s cargo handling was around 45.9% higher than in August 2025.

Domestic cargo rises 43.5%
Domestic cargo accounted for the bulk of the increase. Handling rose from 31,241.3 metric tonnes between January and August 2025 to 44,822 metric tonnes during the same period in 2026, representing a growth of approximately 43.5%.

International cargo also registered a sharp increase, although from a relatively low base. International cargo handling rose from 62.4 metric tonnes in the first eight months of 2025 to 228.7 metric tonnes in the corresponding period of 2026—more than three times the previous year’s volume.

Mohol links growth to Pune’s industrial economy
Murlidhar Mohol said the increase in cargo traffic reflects the expanding economic and industrial activity in Pune and the surrounding region.

“The substantial increase in cargo traffic at Pune Airport is a positive indicator of the expanding economic and industrial capacity of Pune and its surrounding areas. Pune is an important centre for high-value-added sectors such as manufacturing, automobiles, engineering, technology and pharmaceuticals. Efficient and fast air-cargo connectivity is extremely important for the growth of these industries,” Mohol said.

He said India’s civil aviation sector had undergone significant expansion and transformation since 2014, attributing the growth to increased airport capacity, expansion of domestic and regional connectivity and modernisation of aviation infrastructure.

According to Mohol, airports should serve not only as passenger transport hubs but also as important centres for trade, logistics, investment and regional economic development.

“The Central Government is committed to strengthening aviation infrastructure and connectivity so that airports become important drivers of trade, logistics, investment and regional economic development,” he said.

Rising demand from Pune’s industrial sector
Pune and its surrounding areas have a significant presence of automobile, manufacturing, IT, pharmaceutical, engineering and export-oriented industries. The increasing demand for air cargo is being driven in part by the need to transport time-sensitive and high-value goods more efficiently.

The growth in cargo handling at Pune Airport is expected to improve connectivity between industries in the region