Pune Airport Handles Record 245-Tonne Cargo Surge During Diwali Season
Pune Airport has registered a record surge in air cargo movement during the 2025 Diwali season, underscoring the city’s rapid ascent as a logistics and export powerhouse. Data from airport officials show that cargo volumes reached one of their highest levels in recent years, reflecting both consumer demand and the city’s deepening trade integration with global markets.
Between 15 and 16 October 2025, the airport handled more than 222 metric tonnes of total freight with inbound cargo at 108.60 metric tonnes and outbound at 113.86 metric tonnes marking one of the busiest 24-hour periods this year. A week earlier, between 9 and 10 October, the facility recorded its highest inbound movement at 131.60 metric tonnes. These figures confirm a consistent upward trajectory in air freight during India’s festive quarter.
Officials attribute this momentum to a blend of rising e-commerce activity, increased export orders, and improved logistics infrastructure within Pune’s industrial belt. “The airport’s freight terminals are operating at high efficiency, with an emphasis on sustainable cargo handling practices,” a senior airport official noted, highlighting that modernised storage and green operational systems are helping maintain efficiency while reducing carbon emissions.
Experts believe that Pune’s strategic location surrounded by major manufacturing clusters, auto hubs, and IT corridors has cemented its position as a preferred cargo transit point. With industries moving towards faster, low-emission delivery chains, air freight has become a critical part of sustainable trade logistics.The recent surge also coincides with a nationwide effort to strengthen regional air cargo capacity under India’s logistics efficiency enhancement initiatives. Pune’s performance, particularly during a peak festive window, signals growing investor confidence in the city’s infrastructure readiness. Economic analysts see this as a reflection of how secondary airports are evolving into catalysts for regional trade growth, decentralising freight pressure from metro hubs like Mumbai and Delhi.
Industry observers note that the Diwali-driven spike is more than seasonal it indicates a long-term shift in logistics behaviour as companies prioritise punctual, green, and digitally integrated supply chains. Pune’s airport, backed by automation upgrades and multimodal connectivity with road and rail networks, is increasingly becoming a model for balanced economic and environmental progress.As India continues to push for carbon-neutral logistics corridors, Pune’s consistent cargo performance reinforces its potential to lead the transition towards sustainable air freight operations. The latest numbers not only highlight a booming festive economy but also reaffirm the city’s emerging role as a resilient and future-ready trade gateway.
