Mr. Rajesh Menon is a seasoned aviation and air-cargo professional with more than two decades of experience in the airline industry and currently serves as Regional Head of Cargo for South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa at Cathay Cargo. Based in Mumbai, he has been associated with Cathay Pacific since 2005 and has built a distinguished career spanning airport operations, passenger sales, commercial leadership, and cargo management, giving him a rare end-to-end understanding of the airline business. He began his career with Cathay Pacific as Assistant Airport Services Manager at Mumbai Airport, subsequently moved to Chennai as Airport Services Manager, and later took on senior commercial responsibilities, including Regional Sales & Marketing Manager for South Asia. His transition into cargo leadership has enabled him to combine strong customer and market understanding with deep operational expertise. He was instrumental in establishing Cathay Pacific’s operations in Qatar in 2013, overseeing airport and sales-office setup, regulatory approvals, ground-handling arrangements, recruitment and market development. In 2018, he assumed responsibility for Cathay Pacific Cargo’s business across South Asia, the Middle East and Africa, a mandate he continues with Cathay Cargo.
Mr. Menon’s leadership is characterised by a strong focus on customer-centricity, network development, specialised cargo solutions and digital transformation. He has been particularly vocal about the growing importance of pharmaceuticals, perishables, e-commerce and other high-value and sensitive commodities, and has supported the development of specialised solutions capable of providing greater visibility, reliability and control across the cargo journey. During the pandemic, Cathay Cargo maintained connectivity for critical shipments and worked with India Post to ensure uninterrupted movement of mail from key Indian gateways; the subsequent Cathay Mail initiative further automated booking and shipment visibility.
His current strategic focus is strongly aligned with India’s emergence as a global manufacturing and export hub. In 2026, Mr. Menon highlighted India’s increasing importance to Cathay Cargo and the airline’s intention to deepen its investments and footprint in the country, with particular opportunities emerging from the mobile, automotive and pharmaceutical sectors. Cathay Cargo operates dedicated freighter services to Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai and is evaluating further opportunities as India’s manufacturing and logistics ecosystem expands. In 2025, under his regional leadership, Cathay Cargo also appointed Zeal Global Corp as its General Sales Agent in India to expand access to Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets, strengthening connectivity for emerging manufacturing and export centres.
Mr. Menon’s commitment to innovation and operational excellence has also been reflected in Cathay Cargo’s recognition at the ACFI Awards 2025 for Excellence in Air Cargo Safety and Security, where the company’s AI-led safety enhancements and digital innovations were highlighted. Through his leadership, Mr. Menon continues to contribute to the evolution of India’s air-cargo ecosystem, combining global aviation expertise with a strong understanding of regional markets and a clear vision of making air freight more connected, specialised, technology-enabled and responsive to the needs of India’s rapidly expanding participation in global trade.
