India’s ambitions to become a major logistics hub could steer in a positive direction with the planned construction of a cargo facility at Noida International Airport, which is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2024.

Singapore-based cargo handler SATS announced on Monday last week, 13 February, that its Indian subsidiary AISATS, a joint venture with Tata-owned Air India, has been selected to design, build, finance and operate a multimodal cargo hub by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited or YIAPL, the airport developer fully owned by Zurich Airport AG that has been tasked to operate the future airport in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, near the Indian capital of Delhi.

The future cargo facility will comprise an integrated cargo terminal and an integrated warehousing and logistics zone to be built over 87 acres of land. SATS said the cargo hub will be the first of its kind in the country, positioning it to become the gateway for northern India. The group expects the infrastructure to strengthen the supply chain for industrial clusters in Western Uttar Pradesh and National Capital Region, which include textiles, electronics, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals and perishables.

“The MMCH will include integrated facilities with airside access for general cargo, e-commerce, temperature-controlled goods for perishables and pharmaceuticals, and express courier shipments. It will also provide trucking facilities to support road-to-road, road-to-air, and air-to-road movements,” SATS noted.

The gateway services provider expects to finalise the terms with Noida airport operator YIAPL in the coming weeks, but there is no certainty that a concession agreement will be signed, the release stated.