Air cargo charges: Exporters raise alarm over new rates at Pakistan airports

2026-03-20 - 07:10

KARACHI: Exporters have expressed serious concern over the imposition of additional charges on air cargo shipments at international airports across Pakistan, ARY News reported on Friday. The Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association has penned an urgent letter to the Director General of the Pakistan Airports Authority, warning that the move could significantly impact export activity. According to the letter, ground handling companies have introduced an ad hoc charge of Rs50 per kilogram on air cargo shipments. Exporters argue that this additional financial burden will increase costs and reduce competitiveness in international markets, particularly for perishable goods. The association has urged the aviation authority to take immediate notice and ensure the withdrawal of the extra charges, cautioning that failure to act could result in losses for exporters and disrupt the country’s export sector. Earlier, Chairman Pakistan International Freight Forwarding Association, Jamil Ahmed, said that the sudden increase in cargo handling charges would further damage Pakistan’s fragile export sector and create serious operational difficulties for freight forwarders.