India, Afghanistan to resume air cargo services

Air cargo services between India and Afghanistan are set to resume shortly, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday, signalling a fresh push to revive bilateral trade channels during the visit of Afghanistan’s Commerce and Industry Minister Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi.

Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in the MEA, said the long-pending air freight corridors on the Kabul-Delhi and Kabul-Amritsar routes had now been activated. “Cargo flights on these sectors will commence very soon. This will significantly enhance connectivity and further strengthen our trade and commercial ties,” he said while interacting with an Afghan delegation at an event organised by industry chamber PHDCCI.

Both sides have also agreed to post a trade attaché in each other’s embassies to support smoother coordination and address business bottlenecks. Officials said the mechanism would help institutionalise communication and provide on-ground facilitation for exporters and importers.

Prakash added that the Joint Working Group on Trade, Commerce and Investment — dormant in recent years —would be reactivated to push bilateral trade, which currently stands at around $1 billion. “There remains significant scope for further growth,” he said, stressing the need for active participation from industry on both sides to make the mechanism effective.

Azizi’s visit comes amid efforts to revive traditional trade flows, particularly in agricultural and pharmaceutical products, and restore logistical links disrupted in recent years. Industry representatives said the reopening of air corridors would offer a reliable alternative to land routes and help stabilise supply chains between the two countries.