In USA the potential cutback of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from airports in sanctuary cities poses a significant threat to the air cargo industry and global trade.
     A recent proposal from Homeland Security leadership, linked to Markwayne Mullin (right), suggests this move as a means to pressure jurisdictions on immigration enforcement.
     The Washington, D.C.-based Airforwarders Association has described these planned cutbacks as a "gut punch," particularly for airports that handle large volumes of international freight.
     Their message is clear: reducing cargo processing capacity at major gateways leads to immediate disruptions in time-sensitive supply chains, not a gradual issue.
     Brandon Fried, Executive Director of the Airforwarders Association, emphasized the critical role of officers at gateways, stating, “There's no clean substitute for officers on the ground at the gateways. You can't reroute a widebody freighter the way you'd reroute a truck.
     “Major airports like LAX, JFK, O'Hare, and SFO are vital due to their established carrier and flight networks, So switching horses midstream isn't really an option on the major lanes.”
     To mitigate potential disruptions, the Airforwarders Association advises members to take proactive measures:
          •  File entries through ACE before aircraft land to maximize pre-arrival processing by CBP.
          •  Join the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) to gain trusted-trader priority during officer shortages. 
          •  Move clearable freight in-bond to less congested facilities when feasible.

      These steps can help maintain the flow of essential goods and minimize the impact of any changes in CBP operations.
      Brandon adds, “There's also a funding lever people forget. Under the Reimbursable Services Program, airports and stakeholders can pay for CBP overtime directly.
      “It leaves a bad taste, since we'd be paying twice for a federal function, but the tool is already on the shelf.
      “But mitigation manages the damage.
      “It doesn't fix it.
      “The fix is not pulling officers out of the country's busiest gateways in the first place.
      “You don't make the border more secure or trade more efficient by thinning the line at the airports that move the most freight.
      “That's why we've written to the Secretary and the Commissioner, and why we're building a coalition to oppose this move.”
      Listen up air cargo folks:
      Our industry knows full well that air cargo isn’t a warehouse business.
      It’s a keep-moving business.
      A shipment delayed at clearance doesn’t just wait patiently. It misses connections. It triggers rebooking. It stacks up in terminals that weren’t built for indefinite storage.
      And then every step downstream starts to wobble.
      In the U.S., sanctuary cities move billions in global cargo, day after day.
      If you squeeze processing there, you’re not pinching the edge of the network.
You’re stepping on the main hose.
      And critics are pointing out something that sounds obvious, but matters: where exactly is the freight supposed to go?
      Diverting shipments isn’t like rerouting a rideshare.
      Other airports don’t just have spare space, staff, and equipment waiting around for a sudden surge.
      Plus, even if another airport could take some overflow, you still have the rest of the chain to deal with. Trucking capacity. Warehouse appointments. Delivery windows. Cold chain requirements. Security protocols. Time-critical cargo doesn’t magically become flexible because paperwork got slower.
      That’s why the pushback is getting loud—and not just from freight insiders.
Big trade organizations are stepping in: Airlines for America, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Retail Federation. Different missions, same message: CBP cargo operations are part of national economic resilience.
      Telling it like it is:  
      The CBP proposal is framed as leverage on immigration policies.
      But CBP at airports isn’t only about people.
       Cargo operations have their own legal and operational necessity.
      The air cargo industry is essentially saying: whatever your policy goal is, don’t break the mechanism that keeps trade moving.
      Because the costs don’t stay local. A delay in Newark can ripple to a manufacturer inland.
      A backlog at LAX can slow retail restocks across multiple states.
      And time-sensitive shipments—pharmaceuticals, critical components, perishables—can’t afford to negotiate with bureaucracy.
      So where does that leave us?
      In the middle of a high-stakes argument where one side sees a pressure tactic, and the other sees a nationwide supply chain risk.
      And the reason people are alarmed is simple: this isn’t a slow-moving policy change.
      If staffing drops at these hubs, the disruption shows up fast.
      We’ll be watching where the lobbying and the decision-making go from here.       But for now, the air cargo message is clear: don’t turn customs staffing into a bargaining chip, because the supply chain doesn’t have an easy detour.
GDA/SSA

     Come June 15, 2026, the roar of jet engines will signal more than just the birth of a new airport. The commencement of commercial operations at Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar (Delhi and the Indian National Capital Region’s second international airport) will mark the opening of a strategic sluice gate for global trade. While the passenger terminals will buzz with travelers, a more quiet, tectonic shift is occurring at the airport’s northern flank: the rise of a digitally integrated, multimodal cargo powerhouse.
     At the heart of this ambition is AISATS (Air India SATS Airport Services), whose Multi-Modal Cargo Hub (MMCH) is designed to be the primary engine of NIA’s promised ₹1 lakh crore annual economic multiplier. In an exclusive dialogue,  Ramanathan Rajamani, CEO of AISATS, explains why Jewar is not just another pin on the aviation map, but a fundamental redesign of Indian logistics.
     For freight forwarders and shippers, the “Day 1” experience at NIA is built around a philosophy of immediate reliability. The Integrated Cargo Terminal (ICT) is prepared to handle an initial 255,000 metric tonnes of cargo annually, with a blueprint that allows for seamless expansion as the region’s manufacturing muscle grows. “Our immediate priority is to establish predictable turnaround times, transparent cargo visibility, and dependable service levels from the very first day of operations," says  Rajamani. "We want the trade community to experience a facility built around speed, ease of doing business, and operational reliability."
     The traditional Indian cargo model has long been plagued by fragmentation—warehousing, customs, and terminal movement often sit in disjointed pockets, leading to "logistics friction." AISATS is countering this with the Integrated Warehousing & Logistics Zone (IWLZ), a first-of-its-kind development in the country. “At Noida, our IWLZ and Integrated Cargo Terminal have been planned as one connected ecosystem,” Rajamani explains. “This means cargo can move seamlessly from storage to build-up, customs processing, and airline handover within a single zone. The result is lower truck turnaround time, fewer hand-offs, and significantly reduced dwell time.”

     The hub’s efficiency is underpinned by a “tech-first” approach. AISATS has deployed a suite of digital tools including truck slotting systems, digitally enabled gate access, and real-time predictive dashboards. This ensures that the heavy traffic expected from the Yamuna Expressway doesn't result in the bottlenecks seen at legacy hubs.
     Beyond the tarmac, the strategy involves "bonded trucking" partnerships, such as the MoU with Continental Carriers. This allows exporters in distant manufacturing clusters to complete customs processes locally and use NIA as a streamlined exit point. “Airports today are no longer standalone terminals; they are networked gateways,” notes Rajamani. “This will offer exporters a cost-effective and streamlined gateway to accelerate the movement of cargo by airlines operating from Noida International Airport.”
     The region surrounding Jewar is rapidly becoming a hub for electronics, textiles, and e-commerce. A recent collaboration between AISATS and Samsung SDS for electronics exports underscores this potential. However, high-value sectors like pharmaceuticals require more than just speed; they require precision.
     To meet these demands, AISATS has integrated a dedicated "Coolport" with temperature-zoned storage and specialized truck docking zones. “The objective is to minimize exposure risk at every touchpoint, from truck arrival to aircraft loading,” says Rajamani. “For pharma and perishables exporters, this creates a highly reliable cold-chain environment aligned with international quality expectations.”
     As global manufacturers face increasing pressure to lower their Scope 3 emissions, NIA’s net-zero vision becomes a significant draw. AISATS is mirroring this commitment by adopting electric ground support equipment (GSE) and paperless digital processes. “Sustainability is increasingly a commercial differentiator in global supply chains,” Rajamani asserts. “At AISATS, sustainability is not a standalone initiative but an integral part of the way we plan and operate our business.”
     While belly cargo from launch partners like IndiGo and Akasa Air will drive initial volumes, the long-term play involves the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC). The integration of air, road, and eventually rail, positions Jewar to compete with the world's most efficient logistics zones.
     As Uttar Pradesh attracts billions in investment for data centers and industrial townships, the AISATS MMCH stands ready as the gateway. “The combination of road, rail, and air integration around Noida will create one of the most efficient logistics zones in the country,” concludes Rajamani. “Our long-term planning fully recognizes the strategic importance of seamless air-to-rail cargo movement.”
     With trial operations underway and the June 15 launch date looming, the message from AISATS is clear: The Jewar gateway is open, and it is built for the future of Indian exports.
Tirthankar Ghosh