Brussels and Hyderabad airports sign cargo partnership memorandum

Brussels Airport has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hyderabad International Airport to strengthen cooperation in air cargo development and explore opportunities to improve connectivity between Belgium and India.

The partnership will focus on knowledge sharing, cargo development and closer collaboration between the two airports' pharmaceutical and life sciences communities. Brussels Airport will leverage its expertise in pharmaceutical logistics, while Hyderabad's growing life sciences ecosystem is expected to provide opportunities for joint development. The airports will also work together to identify opportunities to strengthen air connectivity and develop cargo links between Brussels and Hyderabad.

Brussels Airport became the first airport globally to achieve CEIV Pharma certification in 2014 and now offers 45,000 square metres of temperature-controlled storage capacity, described as the largest concentration of dedicated airport pharma storage facilities in Europe. Belgium is the world's fourth-largest exporter of pharmaceutical products. India remains the world's largest supplier of generic medicines, accounting for around 20% of global supply by volume, with Hyderabad at the centre of a life sciences cluster spanning pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccines and research and development.

The MoU was signed with support from Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT), the Flemish government agency promoting international trade and investment. Currently there is no direct air connection between the two cities, so the collaboration will explore ways to improve connectivity and support greater cargo flows. The signing took place in the presence of Kadhir Kadhiravan, CEO, and Vivekananda Nayak, CFO, of GMR Hyderabad International Airport, and Dimitri Bettoni, Head of Cargo, and Jeroen Desaer, Senior Cargo Business and Network Development Manager, of Brussels Airport Company.