Media reports in india claim Air India is set to begin an air cargo service to Surat in the next two months, as part of an upgrade of its fleet.

The Times of India says the carrier will replace its CRJ flight between Surat and Delhi and the Mumbai-Surat flight with Airbus A320 and Airbus A319, as it looks at the cargo potential in Surat and south Gujarat.

The report claims that members of the airline’s cargo division visited Surat and met textile and diamond associations and see huge cargo opportunities.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) is set to approve construction of an cargo terminal in the city and expects 40,000 tonnes to be handled in the first year.

E-commerce and logistics firms such as Amazon, Snapdeal, Flipkart and India Post have warehouses in the city, but most air cargo is then trucked by road to Ahmedabad and Mumbai from where it is flown.