TE RAJA SIMHAN

Air India Airport Services (AIASL), a Ground Handling Services company, will start providing its services in Chennai and Kolkata airports.

This is an interim measure effective January 1, 2021 till an alternative arrangement is made, said Airports Authority of India Cargo Logistics & Allied Services (AAICLAS) - a 100 per cent subsidiary of Airports Authority of India (AAI).

So far, Bhadra International was the Ground Handling Agency (GHA) in Chennai airport and Nova Consortium was the GHA in Kolkata. The interim arrangement follows the end of the ten-year contract of GHAs on September 22. The existing interim arrangement that was made on September 17 will cease on December 31.

All airlines using the air cargo complex at the two airports have been asked to avail AIASL’s services - except for security and screening, the AAICLAS said.

The interim arrangement is in place as e-NIT processed by AAICLAS for appointment of service providers on job contract basis to provide air cargo handling at Chennai and Kolkata have not been finalised, the AAICLAS said.

Meanwhile, members dealing with air cargo in Chennai were upset with the interim arrangement that was announced at a very short notice. “There was no tendering process; no accountability; no guaranteed investment in equipment and manpower. The entire arrangement is ad hoc ,” said an industry source.

Air sea terminals are economic gateways. Any change should be gradual for industry to adopt. While drastic procedural changes may settle down within a short time, infrastructure-related developments should be planned and executed. Sudden and drastic shifts will throw the entire operation in to a crisis as new operators may struggle to understand and adopt to a sudden thrust. Industry has now been informed of a change of operator for handling cargo at Chennai air cargo facility in the next three days, said another source.