Air cargo complex at Mangalore airport is likely to be commissioned soon.
The Union Corporate Affairs Minister, Mr Veerappa Moily, has given the indication that air cargo complex at Mangalore airport will be commissioned by August.
In a press release here, Mr Moily said the recent exporters’ convention in Mangalore, organised by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), had stressed the need for an air cargo complex with cold storage facilities for agro products at Mangalore airport.
Mr Moily said that he took up the matter with the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Ajit Singh, who informed him that the Airport Authority of India is building a cargo terminal at Mangalore Airport for handling of international and domestic cargo. The old passenger terminal at the airport will be modified for this.
“Cold storage facilities will be provided with the assistance of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), and the same will be used for storage and processing of perishable cargo,” he said.
Mr Singh has also informed him that both international and domestic cargo terminals at the airport are likely to be commissioned by August, he added.
Long-pending demand
Mr Mohammed Ameen, President of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), told Business Line that establishment of the air cargo complex is one of the long-pending demands of KCCI. “We have been getting a lot of enquiries regarding air cargo. People are waiting this facility to start. For marine products such as fishes there is a good demand in the gulf countries,” he said.
However, there are some small players in marine product manufacturing. They cannot do shipments in containers. For them, air cargo complex is a must, he said. Horticultural products, processed food items and unique jasmine flowers of the region can also be exported.
Regarding the projected cargo from the region, he said: “We have done a study. Now we are making a nominal projection. We do not want to give a high projection, and nothing-materialises kind of a situation. We want the facility to start.”