Govt jacks air cargo rates by up to 100% on service cost surge

KARACHI: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has significantly raised cargo handling charges across all airports in the country, with some categories seeing increases of up to 100 times.

The revised rates came into effect on July 1, according to an official notification issued in the wee hours of Wednesday.

This marks the first time in five years that the cargo tariffs have been revised. The authority says the decision was approved by its executive committee and reflects the need to align fees with operational costs.

Under the new tariff schedule, the charges for transporting pet birds have been raised by 50%. The fee has jumped from Rs200 to Rs300 per kilogramme.

Similarly, cargo charges on betel leaves, a commonly shipped item, have doubled to Rs70 per kilogramme.

General cargo rates have also been increased by 25%, moving from Rs100 to Rs125 per kilogramme.

In addition to pet birds, the revised list covers air freight fees for pets like cats and dogs, as well as for miscellaneous items categorised as general cargo.

Officials defended the hike, saying the charges had remained unchanged for half a decade despite rising airport service costs.

PAA is a public sector autonomous body established in August 2024 under section 3 of the Pakistan Airports Authority Act to improve the administration, operation, and development of airports and air transport services in Pakistan.