Container Corporation of India will run the cargo terminal at the Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai from January 1. It has incorporated a company, Concor Air, for the purpose.
The GVK group, which runs Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL), has informed the trade about the change.
MIAL, which has exclusive rights to operate cargo terminals at the airport, invited bids to appoint a
concessionaire to handle international cargo operations for three years.
Conor Air will will handle all international cargo, the trade notice said.
No expertise Concor has no expertise in running air cargo business, said Firdos Fanibanda, Secretary-General, Air Cargo Agents’ Association of India.
“This is a sad day for the industry. Either they are finding the business not lucrative enough to handle and want to cut cost or they are incapable of handling and do not have enough expertise,” said Fanibanda.
The trade will suffer as there is no clarity in the deal. Responsibilities have not been assigned and their cost will increase.
The government should re-look this decision as this is going to affect the economy. Mumbai airport handles nearly 40 per cent of the country’s air cargo, he told Business Line .
The change of guard will not benefit the trade as the contract has been awarded on ‘as-is-where-is’ basis. There will be no infrastructure development.
“In fact, there has been no infrastructure development since the time MIAL has taken over the airport ,” said Fanibanda.