The US India Business Council’s Aviation Cooperation Program featured Graham Perkins in a Q&A published in the organization’s newsletter Shared Horizons. Graham discusses how India’s rapidly expanding aviation and logistics sectors present opportunities for collaboration, and highlights how Atlas’ global fleet, specialized services and partnerships can help support the country’s growth as a manufacturing and export hub. He also emphasizes Atlas’ sustainability, infrastructure modernization and industry events, like Wings India, as key drivers shaping the future of India’s role in global commerce.
Charting a Course for Collaboration: A Conversation with Atlas Air Worldwide’s Graham Perkins
As India emerges as a global aviation and logistics powerhouse, opportunities for international collaboration have never been greater. Shared Horizons sat down with Graham Perkins, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Europe/Middle East/India/Africa (EMEIA), at Atlas Air Worldwide, to discuss how the company-operator of the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 747 freighters-is engaging with India’s fast-evolving aviation ecosystem and what’s next for sustainable growth across the skies.
Q: India’s aviation and logistics sectors are expanding rapidly, supported by economic growth, e-commerce, and infrastructure investment. From your vantage point at Atlas Air, how do you see this evolution contributing to India’s export economy in the years ahead?
Graham Perkins (GP): India is one of the most dynamic trade markets in the world right now. As the country continues to strengthen its manufacturing base and expand its role in global commerce, we are seeing strong and sustained demand for fast, reliable, and scalable air cargo solutions.
Indian companies increasingly need to get their goods to market quickly-whether that’s textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, or e-commerce products-and air cargo is the most effective way to do that.
India is becoming a strategic global hub, connecting commercial markets in new ways. The country’s investments in airport infrastructure,
logistics corridors, and its skilled workforce are foundational to long-term growth. But that’s just the beginning. We want to be part of India’s export growth story-supporting manufacturers and logistics providers as they scale their international reach, bringing Indian goods to global markets.
Q: Atlas Air serves a range of high-value sectors through weekly flights from Delhi. Where do you see opportunities to deepen partnerships with Indian companies to support continued growth?
GP: There’s enormous potential for collaboration and partnership. Currently, there is no Indian main-deck long haul cargo airline, and that’s a gap Atlas Air is well positioned to help fill by partnering in the local market. As the world’s leading global provider of outsourced aircraft and aviation operating services, we have the experience, network, fleet capacity, and operational flexibility to engage collaboratively with Indian businesses that are seeking to expand globally and to support those growth plans with added capacity.
We currently operate weekly flights into Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), transporting consumer technology products for onward distribution and we see additional potential in the region.
Atlas has a track record of engaging successfully with companies in markets across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe to enhance their connectivity and growth, while supporting trade. We want to bring that same approach to India, helping to develop customized, scalable solutions that align with local ambitions.
Q: Atlas Air’s global experience and flexible operating model support customers across more than 80 countries. How do those strengths position you to contribute to India’s ambitions to become a global logistics hub?
GP: Atlas operates the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 747 freighters-17 747-8Fs, 39 747-400Fs, and four Large Cargo Freighters (LCFs)-along with 777 and 767 aircraft across cargo and passenger operations. That scale allows us to serve customers globally by connecting more than 330 stations worldwide.
Our model is designed around partnership. Our customers include some of the world’s largest e-commerce, express, and logistics companies.
We offer dedicated, tailored, reliable capacity that supports their business goals. That same approach can bring value to India’s expanding logistics network, supporting Indian companies and global brands that rely on the country as a manufacturing and export base.
Ultimately, we see our role as helping Indian companies get their goods to the world-safely, efficiently, and sustainably-while strengthening the country’s position as a cornerstone of global commerce.
Q: India’s government has prioritized sustainability across industries, including aviation. How are Atlas Air’s sustainability goals influencing your strategy and how might they align with India’s own objectives?
GP: Sustainability is central to our One Atlas Strategy, how we operate and invest for the future.
Across our fleet and network, we are advancing initiatives focused on fleet modernization, operational efficiency, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Our widebody cargo fleet includes 17 Boeing 747-8Freighters and 13 Boeing 777 Freighters-among the most capable and environmentally responsible widebody aircraft ever built-and we are investing in technologies and methodologies that further reduce emissions, from optimized flight planning to continuous descent approaches.
India’s emphasis on sustainability and green infrastructure aligns closely with our own priorities.
As opportunities for SAF production and adoption expand in India, we are keen to collaborate with partners to integrate those solutions into our operations. For us, it is about supporting India’s sustainability vision while continuing to deliver reliable, efficient global transport for our customers.
Q: Wings India 2026, taking place in January, is a signature event for India’s aviation sector. From Atlas Air’s perspective, what role do platforms like this play in advancing the country’s aviation and logistics ambitions?
GP: Wings India has become a vital forum for collaboration, innovation, and strategic dialogue in one of the world’s most dynamic aviation markets.
It brings together government leaders, industry stakeholders, and global partners to exchange ideas, explore opportunities, and tackle shared challenges as India accelerates its emergence as a global trade and logistics hub.
India is at a pivotal moment. The manufacturing and export sectors are expanding rapidly, infrastructure investments are unlocking new connectivity, and sustainability is increasingly central to how the industry operates. Wings India provides a powerful platform to showcase that progress, strengthen partnerships, and chart the path forward.
At Atlas, we see India’s aviation development as critical not only for the region but for the global supply chain. We have witnessed firsthand how resilient air cargo infrastructure drives economic expansion and connects markets and we want to be part of that story-working alongside and supporting Indian airlines, logistics providers, and manufacturers to help deliver the capacity and solutions that are a pivotal part of the country’s ambitions.
Congratulations to the organizers of Wings India and the aviation community in India on the continued success of the event. The ideas and collaborations that emerge will help define the next chapter of India’s role in global commerce, and Atlas looks forward to contributing to that journey as a trusted partner.
About Atlas Air Worldwide
Atlas Air Worldwide (Atlas) is a global leader in outsourced aviation logistics, providing what customers value most: advanced aircraft, flexible, reliable, safe operations, and world-class service.
Atlas is at the center of the global economy, delivering on behalf of a diverse, marquee roster of shippers, eCommerce, logistics and transportation, express, airline, sports and entertainment customers.
Atlas is the parent company of Atlas Air, Inc., Titan Aviation Holdings, Inc., and Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. Together, we operate the world’s largest fleet of 747 freighters and offer the broadest array of Boeing 747, 777, and 767 aircraft for cargo and passenger operations, connecting to more than 330 stations in over 80 countries.
India is becoming an integral part of our global network. Atlas currently operates weekly flights in and out of Indira Gandhi International Airport on behalf of customers, transporting export garments and fashion products for distribution across the globe, as well as consumer electronics being shipped into the country for Indian customers. We fully anticipate our presence in India will continue to expand in the years ahead as we partner locally to support what will surely be a growth story.
