MIA initiates international cargo services

Mangaluru: On July 2, Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) launched its international cargo operations from its new integrated cargo terminal, beginning with flight IX 815, which carried 2522 kilograms of fruits and vegetables to Abu Dhabi. The official inauguration took place on July 5, 2024, attended by the AAHL Cargo team, the MIA leadership, and representatives from Customs, airline partners IndiGo and Air India Express, and the CISF Airport Security Group.

This milestone follows the commencement of domestic cargo services on May 1, 2023. On May 10, 2024, the Commissioner of Customs designated the airport as a Custodian and Customs Cargo Service Provider, thus paving the way for international cargo operations. Throughout this period, the airport has worked closely with regulatory authorities and airline partners to secure its status as a Customs Cargo Service Provider.

The launch of international cargo operations will greatly benefit exporters from coastal Karnataka, Kerala, and the surrounding regions, enabling them to ship perishables such as fresh produce, food items, machine parts, textiles, footwear, tropical fish, frozen and dried fish, plastic colorants, and ship components (like propellers) as belly cargo. With connections through IndiGo and Air India Express, exporters can now send cargo to destinations including Dubai, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain. On the domestic front, MIA has successfully handled 3706.02 tonnes of cargo within the first 11 months since the launch of domestic operations on May 1, 2023, during the financial year 2024-25. This included 279.21 tonnes of incoming cargo and 3426.8 tonnes of outgoing cargo. Notably, 95% of the outbound domestic cargo comprised post-office mail, primarily consisting of bank and UIDAI documents such as credit/debit cards and Aadhaar cards.