<p data-path-to-node="2"><b data-path-to-node="2" data-index-in-node="0">NEW DELHI</b> — In a major development for South Asian air freight and supply chain connectivity, state governments and key private logistics developers have signed several strategic Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) during the 7th Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) World Conclave held in the national capital.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="3"><b>Multi-State Commitments to Expand Air Freight Infrastructure</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="4">The agreements—spearheaded by the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Aviation—are structured to decentralize export processing out of overburdened tier-1 gateways and create specialized feeder aviation logistics networks across regional manufacturing clusters.</p><p data-path-to-node="5">Under the framework of these MoUs, state industrial bodies will allocate dedicated land parcels adjacent to emerging regional airports and inland trade nodes for the development of:</p><ul data-path-to-node="6"><li><p data-path-to-node="6,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="6,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Off-Airport Air Freight Stations (AFS):</b> Allowing complete export aggregation, palletization, and customs sealing inland before truck shuttles transport cargo directly to aircraft main decks.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="6,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="6,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Perishable &amp; Cold-Chain Cargo Centers:</b> Built to support temperature-sensitive agro-exports, pharmaceutical dispatches, and floriculture consignments with zero-break cold chain facilities.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="6,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="6,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Jewar Aero Logistics Feeder Zones:</b> Linking western Uttar Pradesh's manufacturing corridors directly with the upcoming Noida International Airport’s cargo village.</p></li></ul><h3 data-path-to-node="7"><b>Integration with the National Air Cargo Community System</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="8">Industry delegates at the conclave highlighted that physical infrastructure will be paired with the accelerated rollout of the unified <b data-path-to-node="8" data-index-in-node="135">National Air Cargo Community System (NACCS)</b>. The digital platform automates customs EDI clearance, real-time airway bill tracking, and truck slot management across all participating domestic and international terminals.</p><p data-path-to-node="9">Speaking at the conclave, senior civil aviation officials noted:</p><blockquote data-path-to-node="10"><p data-path-to-node="10,0"><i data-path-to-node="10,0" data-index-in-node="0">"Bridging tier-2 and tier-3 industrial ecosystems directly with global air freight lanes is essential to achieving India's target of handling 10 million metric tonnes of air cargo annually. These state-level partnerships ensure that high-value electronics, processed foods, and pharmaceuticals move from manufacturing floors to international markets without procedural or transit bottlenecks."</i></p></blockquote><p data-path-to-node="11">The initiative is projected to compress overall export dwell times at airport gates by up to 40% and lower freight handling costs for regional exporters across central and southern India.</p>