India set to restart air cargo services with Afghanistan

India is preparing to restart air cargo services with Afghanistan, an official from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday. The announcement came during the visit of Afghanistan’s Taliban Trade Minister, Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi, who arrived in New Delhi for a five-day trip focused on trade and economic cooperation.

Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in the MEA, confirmed that all necessary arrangements have been completed to resume cargo flights between the two countries. He said, “The air freight corridor on the Kabul–Delhi and Kabul–Amritsar sectors has been activated, and cargo flights on these routes will begin very soon.”

Azizi’s visit aims to boost Afghanistan’s agricultural exports and expand market access in India, especially at a time when Afghan trade has been heavily affected by tensions with Pakistan. Discussions in New Delhi are expected to include the following-

• Increasing the volume of Afghan fruits, dry fruits, and agricultural goods entering India
• Expanding India’s exports to Afghanistan, including medicines, machinery, and textiles
• Improving transport options through air cargo routes and Iran’s Chabahar port
• Exploring ways to restore payment systems disrupted after Afghan banks were removed from the SWIFT network
• Reviewing plans to revive the earlier India–Afghanistan Air Freight Corridor

Afghan officials have also stressed the importance of creating reliable, alternative trade routes so that traders do not have to depend solely on Pakistan.

Azizi’s trip follows the visit of Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to New Delhi less than two months ago. These back-to-back visits indicate a shift in engagement between India and the Taliban administration, as India gradually increases its diplomatic and trade presence in Kabul.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has reacted sharply to Kabul’s outreach to India. Cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have grown in recent weeks, with military exchanges and stalled negotiations creating further instability.

The timing of the visit is particularly important because Pakistan’s recent land border closure, following clashes, has badly hit Afghan exports. Many Afghan traders have suffered major losses, especially exporters of perishable goods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. With the main land route blocked, Afghanistan is looking to India and Iran as key alternative markets.

In response, Taliban authorities have encouraged Afghan businesses to reduce their dependence on Pakistan and explore new trade corridors.

How This Move Could Impact India’s Cargo Sector

The resumption of cargo flights between India and Afghanistan will likely benefit India’s cargo and logistics sector by:

• Increasing freight movement on the Delhi and Amritsar routes
• Boosting India’s role as a key trade partner for Afghan agricultural products
• Strengthening cargo volumes at Indian airports that handle perishable and high-value goods
• Opening up more opportunities for Indian exporters, especially in the pharma, textiles, and machinery sectors

With direct air cargo links restarting, Indian freight operators, cargo handlers, and customs infrastructure will see renewed activity on an important regional trade route.