Cathay Cargo to shift operations to Navi Mumbai Airport

Dhaka: Cathay Cargo will relocate its Mumbai operations from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to the newly opened Navi Mumbai International Airport, according to media reports. However, the airline has not clarified whether the shift is temporary or permanent. Tim Wong, General Manager of Cargo Service Delivery, said in a company article published on July 7 that the regular Mumbai service would move across town while cargo area refurbishment works take place at the existing airport. Navi Mumbai International Airport, developed by Adani Airport Holdings and CIDCO, began domestic commercial operations on December 25 and will launch international flights on July 15. Separately, Cathay Cargo announced network changes amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. The carrier previously operated Asia-Europe freighters via Dubai but switched to direct flights when the conflict began, a move that limited payload capacity. In April, the airline said it was seeking alternative midpoints for these routes. It has now added Astana, Kazakhstan, as an intermediate stop, ahead of Cathay Pacific's planned launch of direct passenger flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan, in early 2027. Wong said intermediate stops for European freighters are being moved from India to Astana until the end of the summer season, while Dubai freighter operations remain suspended. He added that the airline hopes to resume Dubai operations in the medium term as efforts toward a resolution in the Middle East continue and confirmed freighter service to Riyadh will resume from August 1