India's air cargo boom proves no boon to national air freight carriers

INDIA is struggling to maintain its small market share of the country's air cargo market with 82 per cent being carried by foreign carriers - mainly in the bellyholds of passenger aircraft.

Even domestic cargo is mostly carried by foreign private carriers rather than state-owned Air India, which has seen its market share falling year to year from 20.2 per cent in 2010, to 18.6 per cent in 2011 and to 16.2 per cent so far this year. Cargo volumes also slipped in the last fiscal due to European economic woes.