International cargo service yet to resume in Vizag

Visakhapatnam: The wait for resuming international air cargo gets longer in the port city. Keeping the requirement of trade and industrial sectors in view, Visakhapatnam Airport is facilitated with international cargo service. However, the Covid-19 pandemic had left a dent in all the sectors across the world. More so, the international cargo service providers.

Frequent closure of the domestic operation and international flights and unprecedented pandemic situation had adversely affected the cargo operation in Visakhapatnam Airport. As a result, the business operations of the international cargo service remained idle for the past two years. Meanwhile, the airport authorities have been charging fixed rentals to the tune of Rs 3 lakh per month and the international cargo service provider had to pay Rs.36 lakh per annum to operate the cargo service.

During the pandemic period, there were hardly any cargo service operations for the service provider. However, the airport authorities have charged rentals even for the non-operating period, adding to the burden of the service provider despite the operation being not so viable. To resolve the problem, Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanarayana wrote a letter to Chairman of Airport Authority of India Sanjeev Kumar to relax the charges for international cargo operations during the pandemic and help the provider resume the service at the earliest.

Speaking to The Hans India, the MP mentioned that a request was made to look into the matter and consider waiver of rentals charged during the pandemic situation in order to provide relief to the cargo service provider.

"Also, a request has been made to the CEO of SpiceJet to operate dedicated cargo flights from Visakhapatnam," the MP added. Visakhapatnam is a home for a number of pharmaceutical parks, textile parks, SEZ, VSEZ, seafood units, among others. As there is a need for the international cargo service, the importance to resume its operation at the earliest is stressed.