Air & Ocean Freigth From India to UK [Updated: March, 2021]

If your business relies on international shipping for delivery of goods from India to the UK, you can rely on Shipa Freight. The online platform from Agility brings new ease and convenience to freight forwarding. Use simple online tools to get freight rates and book your freight shipments from India to the UK.

See How Digitized Freight Services Save You Time

With deep-rooted connections between India and the United Kingdom and a lengthy history of importing and exporting, trade lanes between the two countries are long-established. Now Shipa Freight brings time-saving ease and convenience to the booking, payment and tracking of commercial shipments between the two nations.

Why wait for a quote for your freight?

Shipa Freight will get you a competitive price for your India to UK shipment in a hurry. Just complete the form above.

About FCL or LCL Ocean Freight From India to the UK

Simplifying shipping? It’s a drop in the ocean when you use the Shipa Freight online platform. Easy to use, even if you’ve never dealt with international shipments before, it’s powered by the vast knowledge and freight-forwarding expertise of Agility Logistics—a long-established and renowned global shipping company.

Benefit from time-saving and stress-busting quick quotes, straightforward booking, online payments, and excellent service every time you need to ship by sea. We maintain standards of the highest quality, and affordable shipping costs, whether you’re moving a full container load (FCL) or a smaller LCL shipment.

Shipa Freight supplies the shipping information you need, free from confusing jargon. That’s because we know that running your business and getting those big international orders takes time. So we save you time, with no complicated questions, no phone calls and no faxing. Shipa Freight is a digitized service delivered by a friendly team with the expertise to make shipping from India to the UK as smooth as the ocean on a beautifully calm day.

Indian Ports of Origin

Your manufacturers or suppliers in India will have a port nearby from where Shipa Freight can organize delivery to the United Kingdom. Here are a few such ports:

Nhava Sheva

This was built as a relief port to take pressure off the nearby port of Mumbai. Now it’s a major freight hub in its own right, handling over 50% of India’s container trade. There are five terminals here and quick links to manufacturing and supply chain centers across West and Central India.

Owned By: Government of India.

Annual Container Volume: >5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INNSA.

Haldia

Perhaps one of India’s most future-focused ports, Haldia enjoys Green Port status, with much of its heavy machinery and many of its vehicles running on bio-diesel. The port is located where the Haldi River meets the Hooghly River and has enjoyed a steady increase in the volume of throughput in recent years.

Owned By: Kolkata Port Trust.

Annual Container Volume: >150,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INHAL.

Tuticorin

India’s fourth-largest container hub is located in Tamil Nadu and is an artificial port offering export services to the United Kingdom. The container terminal has three quay cranes and extensive storage facilities. Over $1 billion is being invested in expanding the port to increase its freight-handling capacity and to confirm its status as a major gateway to Europe.

Owned By: V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust / Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >560,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INTUT.

Cochin

With both the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean close by, Cochin is in a prime location to export goods to the UK. The port has one of the largest transshipment facilities in the country, and a vast network of railways and roads, airways and waterways connecting it to locations in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Owned By: Cochin Port Trust.

Annual Container Volume: >400,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INCOK.

Pipavav

This freight-centric port is a good origin point for your consignment to the UK if your manufacturer or supply chain is based in Western India. The port is located on major trade routes and has eight quay cranes for containers, plus two mobile cranes with the ability to handle bulk freight.

Owned By: A.P Moller Maersk Group.

Annual Container Volume: >880,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INPAV.

Other Ports in India

In addition to the gateways mentioned above, Shipa Freight can organize FCL and LCL shipping from India to the UK at all these other ports in the sub-continent:

In addition to the gateways mentioned above, Shipa Freight can organize FCL and LCL shipping from India to the UK at all these other ports in the sub-continent:

• Mundra
• Kattupalli
• Hazira
• Chennai
• Kolkata
• Visakhapatnam
• Krishnapatnam
• Mormugao

Ports of Arrival: United Kingdom

To help you decide where to offload your freight from India, here’s a guide to the UK ports you might use.

Southampton

This South Coast port is 16 km inland and sheltered from the elements by the Isle of Wight. Discharging your consignment from India here enables quick road and rail links to the rest of the UK. The team at the port can simultaneously load or unload four container vessels. There is also 14,000 square meters of refrigerated storage space on the site for perishables and a terminal specifically for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Owned By: Associated British Ports.

Annual Container Volume: >1.9 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: GBSOU.

Grangemouth

Handily located in the Forth Estuary between Edinburgh and Glasgow, Grangemouth is a thriving freight hub, handling all kinds of container goods, including perishables, hazardous goods, and bulky commodities. There are 20 berths at the port which is used by all of the top 10 global shipping lines. Its popularity arises from impressive goods-handling facilities and links to the UK’s main East and West Coast rail-freight lines.

Owned By: Forth Ports.

Annual Container Volume: >250,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: GBGRG.

Belfast

As part of the Belfast Harbor Estate, which is home to George Best Belfast City Airport, this port is one of only two that handles all types of freight on the island of Ireland. Close to 25 million tons were processed here in 2018, and the port’s warehouse facilities extend across over 185,000 square meters.

Owned By: Belfast Harbour Commission.

Annual Container Volume: >125,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: GBBEL.

Felixstowe

Branded ‘The Port of Britain’, Felixstowe handles 48% of the UK’s containerized freight, making it Europe’s eighth-busiest container port. Land your shipment from India here, and you’ll have excellent transport links to all areas of the UK by road and rail. Approximately 3000 ships visit the port annually, with 17 shipping lines operating from here.

Owned By: Hutchison Port Holdings.

Annual Container Volume: >3.8 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: GBFXT.

London Gateway

Opened in 2013, this port has a semi-automated deep-sea container terminal and amazing warehousing and distribution facilities. London Gateway handles the world’s largest container ships and there are fast road connections to the M25 motorway, which encircles London and links to the rest of the UK. Ideal for a speedy onward journey for your products from India.

Owned By: DP World.

Annual Container Volume: >3.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: GBLGP.

There are three other UK ports at which Shipa Freight can discharge your consignment from India. They are Teesport, London and Liverpool.

India to the UK: Transit Times and Routes

The ocean trade lanes from India to the United Kingdom have long been in use. Over the decades, steaming times have been cut as container vessel capabilities have improved. Below is an outline of the current journey times from India to the UK. Please note that times are only port-to-port estimates and do not take into account additional time required for the domestic transportation of your goods.

Port of Origin	Destination Port	Est. Transit Time
Mundra	Grangemouth	44 Days
Visakhapatnam	London Gateway	29 Days
Chennai	London Gateway	31 Days
Kolkata	London Gateway	31 Days
Mundra	London Gateway	34 Days
Visakhapatnam	Southampton	29 Days
Chennai	Southampton	31 Days
Mundra	Southampton	34 Days
Nhava Seva	Southampton	36 Days
Haldia	London Gateway	29 Days
Visakhapatnam	Felixstowe	29 Days
Chennai	Felixstowe	31 Days
Kolkata	Felixstowe	31 Days
Mundra	Felixstowe	31 Days
Nhava Seva	Felixstowe	34 Days
Kolkata	Grangemouth	40 Days
Chennai	Belfast	24 Days
Mundra	Belfast	32 Days

Air Freight From India to the United Kingdom

When clients won’t wait and deadlines won’t budge, your freight might have to take to the skies to get to the UK from India on-time. The journey time by air is classed as long-haul, but it amounts to short work when compared with ocean shipping. That extra speed comes with a big price tag, but many businesses are prepared to pay it because air freight helps:

• Meet urgent orders: if your consignment simply has to be in the UK in a matter of days, not weeks, only sending it air freight will get it there.
• Save perishable goods: will your product survive several weeks at sea, even in a refrigerated environment? If not, air freight from India to the UK will be a good idea.
• Negate the problem of delays: if you’re worried about delays in customs, at sea or in port at launch or discharge, sending some of your freight by air can mitigate the effects.
• Lower the cost of insurance: insurance brokers like the quick delivery times of air freight because less time in transit means less risk, so you pay a lower premium.

Air Freight or Courier Services: How Do You Choose?

If you’ve only got a small shipment to get from India to the UK, you might be tempted to get an international courier delivery service to handle it. But if the weight of your consignment exceeds 400kg, air freight will almost certainly be more cost-effective, as the freight charge will be lower.

If you do choose air freight, rather than shipping by courier to India, Shipa Freight can give you a quick and competitive quote for airport-to-airport freight forwarding services as well as door to door shipments.

For the fastest shipping from India to the UK, get an air freight quote using the form at the top of the page.

India: Airports of Origin

Delhi

There are distinct greenfield and brownfield freight terminals at Delhi airport, which you might also know as Indira Gandhi International Airport or IGIA. It’s India’s busiest airport for freight and has direct links to London-Heathrow and Birmingham Airport, so is a good point of departure when shipping to the UK.

UK airports served: London-Heathrow, Birmingham.

Delhi to UK Cargo-Only Operators: Cathay Pacific Cargo.

IATA CODE: DEL.

Mumbai

Even though Delhi is India’s busiest freight airport, Mumbai still handles almost 1 million tons of goods every year. There are direct flights to London-Heathrow, with freight processed in a terminal accommodating five wide-bodied aircraft at once, and a refrigerated storage facility for perishables.

UK airports served: London-Heathrow.

Mumbai to UK Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: BOM.

Chennai

The international airport at Chennai is based 20 km from the city center. A 1480 square meter export facility with room for three wide-bodied aircraft processes freight for shipment to the UK.

UK airports served: London-Heathrow.

Chennai to UK Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: MAA.

Hyderabad

Head 24 km south out of Hyderabad and you’ll reach the airport named after former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The freight terminal is used by several major worldwide carriers, although if you want your products to fly direct to the UK, it will be sent aboard a passenger flight to London-Heathrow.

UK airports served: London-Heathrow.

Hyderabad to UK Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: HYD.

Other Airports in India

Shipa Freight can get your goods to the United Kingdom using direct or indirect flights from any of these other Indian airports:

• Ahmedabad
• Bangalore
• Kolkata
• Cochin
• Coimbatore

UK Destination Airports for Freight From India

Birmingham

Send your air freight from India to Birmingham, and it will be processed by a handling team located at an airport in the center of England. So, whichever direction your products need to head in after discharge, they can reach their destination fast. Freight-handling services at Birmingham are provided by a Swissport team in a facility handling 8,400 tons of freight annually.

Connected Airports in India: Delhi.

India to Birmingham Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: BHX.

London-Heathrow

As one of the world’s busiest airports, unsurprisingly, London-Heathrow has huge, modern freight-handling capabilities, with Cathay Pacific Cargo providing a direct service from Delhi. A staggering £133 billion worth of goods are handled here annually, in what is the biggest, most popular air-cargo gateway into the United Kingdom.

Connected Airports in India: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad.

India to London-Heathrow Cargo-Only Operators: Cathay Pacific Cargo.

IATA CODE: LHR.

In addition to London-Heathrow and Birmingham, there are two more UK airports to which you can ship air freight from India—they are Glasgow, in Scotland, and Manchester, in the North of England.

Trade Lanes and Times for Air Freight Between India and the UK

Use Shipa Freight to ship your goods via one of the few direct air services between India and the UK. Below are the estimated transit times for flights between the two. These are airport-to-airport estimates, but you can also book our door-to-door service. Either way, you’ll need to add extra time for domestic road or rail transportation.

Airport of Origin	Destination Port	Est. Transit Time
Ahmedabad	London	9 Hours
Bangalore	London	10 Hours
Hyderabad	London	9 Hours
Chennai	London	10 Hours
Mumbai	London	9 Hours
Delhi	London	9 Hours
Delhi	Birmingham	9 Hours

India to UK Shipping With Shipa Freight: The Benefits

Advanced digital tools together with the global network and resources of Agility Logistics – one of the world’s premier shipping companies. All on one easy-to-use platform—that’s the power of Shipa Freight.

Global Leaders With Global Reach

Shipa Freight draws on the extensive shipping and warehousing experience of parent company Agility, to deliver an online quotation, freight booking, and tracking platform offering unparalleled ease of use.

Offices in India		Offices in United Kingdom
Jaipur	Ahmedabad	Belfast	Cleveland	Bedfrodshire
Jodhpur	Baroda	Birmingham	Sheffield	Goole
Kanpur	Mumbai	Bristol	Liverpool
Vadodara	Bangalore	Glasgow	Derby
Nashik	Hyderabad	Antrim	Berkshire
Indore	Chennai	Manchester	Feltham
Delhi	Kolkata	Dundee	Essex
Pune	Aberdeenshire	Ipswich

Technology-Driven Shipping

As a digital-first forwarder, we address the shortcomings of current freight-forwarding booking processes and procedures. Our technology simplifies the complex, and speeds-up bookings and payments, so you spend less time shipping, and more time growing your business.

Free Access to Shipping Specialists

Our shipping specialists are available 24/7 to give you advice, guidance, and help with your shipment from India to the UK.

Easy Freight Quotes

To generate your quote, Shipa Freight will ask straightforward questions, like ‘do you want a door-to-door or port-to-port service?’ And ‘what kind of goods do you want to send?’ Your answers will enable our quotation engine—along with the support of human pricing specialists when necessary—to generate a competitively-priced quote.

Customs Clearance Clarity

Shipa Freight keeps things simple even when it comes to compliance, giving you customs information that specifically relates to shipments from India to the UK. (See also our Global Guide to Shipping.)

Your path to customs clearance is also easy to follow, thanks to clever tools that ensure Shipa Freight only asks for the information you need to supply to green-light your shipment.

Ready to send complexity packing and welcome Shipa Freight’s simplicity?