Airports Authority of India (AAI) will convert redundant passenger terminals at 24 airports into cargo terminals.
Inaugurating the air cargo complex at the Mangalore airport here on Monday, Ajit Singh, Union Civil Aviation Minister, said AAI has 24 airports in the country that will be used for domestic cargo operations.
The old terminal buildings will undergo minor modifications since the facility requires both city side and air side access.
Singh said that to develop cargo hubs, it is imperative to develop the regional airport and establish cargo terminals to provide connectivity with metros. To achieve this, the AAI has already set up cargo terminals in the southern region in Coimbatore, Tiruchi and now at Mangalore.
The cargo terminal in Mangalore will provide an opportunity to exporters of perishable cargo.
The terminal has 1,400 sq metres for international cargo and 1100 sq metres for domestic cargo.
The facility has an annual holding capacity of 5,000 tonnes for international import cargo, 13,000 tonnes for export cargo, 18,000 tonnes for domestic in-bound cargo and 21,000 tonnes for domestic out-bound cargo.
The cargo complex is electronically linked with a centralised cargo server at Kolkota. Initially, scheduled flights will carry air cargo in passenger aircraft. Singh said the other planned works at Mangalore airport include extension of runway. This will require additional 258 acres of land.
He requested the Karnataka Government to provide land to AAI. He said AAI has invested around Rs 250 crore for the development of Mangalore airport till now.