Chaitaly Mehta, Honorary Secretary, ACAAI and Director, EKF Global, has raised concerns over the decision to cap all International flights to one each day but no cap on their carriers which has results in unrestricted access to our markets. She noted this asymmetry has triggered a capacity-driven market, creating supply constraints for Indian airlines and increasing reliance on Middle Eastern carriers. The resulting disruption has significantly impacted freight rates, reduced carrier choice, and affected high-value export sectors such as gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and perishables. Freight forwarders are grappling with backlogs, cargo rollovers, rising costs, and mounting customer escalations, while MSME exporters face increased financial strain. Mehta emphasized that the situation highlights structural weaknesses in India’s logistics ecosystem and called for urgent reforms, including stronger bilateral negotiations, expansion of long-haul and freighter capacity, and the development of Indian airports into global transshipment hubs to enhance control over trade flows.
