
Did you know that the air cargo traffic in India is expected to grow by 60% in the next five years and that domestic air freight tonnage was up by 8% in 2018 according to ICRA?
Adding credibility to this, is one form of carrier that’s increasingly emerging as a “frequent flyer” on our list: Air Freight. If statistics are anything to go by, the Aviation industry is expected to witness 1 lakh crore INR worth of investments in the next five years. Additionally, India will emerge as the third largest aviation market in terms of passengers by 2024.
Add to this the development of “Airfreight hubs” (such as the ones being built by e-commerce giants such as Alibaba and Amazon) that tackle packaging and automation capabilities, and you’ve got a clear trend emerging: the transition of air express delivery from a B2B approach to cater to B2C demands. As per a research, such airfreight hubs are springing across the globe to tackle the growing e-commerce demand.
But why is airfreight adoption taking place at such a fast pace?
Here are some possible reasons.
Importance of a Top-Flight Express Partner for Next-Day Delivery
Here are a few of the multiple advantages to using aviation as a preferred mode for express delivery:
1. Lightning Speed, On-Time Delivery
Compared to its slower counterparts (road and sea shipment), air freight is the preferred mode for shipping for three reasons: It is fast, convenient, and time-sensitive.
“The time for air freight delivery is reduced from 4-days to 1-day as compared to surface delivery. At Shadowfax, we are able to complete 20,000+ air shipments on a daily basis! And 98% of the intercity delivery is through air freight. Shadowfax has also developed air connections with 30+ routes and has a presence in 40+ cities for next-day delivery.”
- According to Rahul Kumar, Senior Director (Strategic Initiatives — Central Operations), Shadowfax.
2. Real-Time Tracking — From Departure to Arrival

Air travel is time-centric with absolutely no room for delays of any kind. In such a scenario, an app can solve all the problems for every stakeholder involved — be it the rider, merchant, or the customer. How, you ask?
Simply by tracking the status of the shipment — right from the departure to its arrival. This ensures that the shipment process stays on track, is transparent and reliable, all at the same time. Naturally, this enhances the customer experience manifold.
3. Increased Footprint
When it comes to air freight and next-day delivery, the world is your oyster — literally!
Express delivery partners are increasingly developing large network of destinations to cover maximum ground space and customer base. This ensures that the company caters to customer needs from diverse geographic locations.
4. Increased Security, Cost-Effective & Secure Delivery
This might be an obvious one but it’s equally important to consider shipment safety. As you may know, cargo inspection and handling is carried out with utmost professionalism, thanks to the strict laws in place. This, by extension, ensures that the shipment is not exposed to any kind of theft or irreversible damage opportunities. Plus, the air freight segment enjoys dual cost benefits: a reduced SLA and better TAT costs, thereby making it a lucrative option.
So the next time you think of air freight, think of Shadowfax as your express delivery partner and get on-board a seamless journey that is as rewarding as it is convenient! For further queries, please contact us at - hello@shadowfax.in and be rest assured of a lightning-speed delivery service.