‘Provide cargo flights from Vizag’

• Tremendous growth in cargo handling
• APATA is taking the lead 
• Cargo terminal falicitating all services

Visakhapatnam: With substantial growth in the cargo handling at the Visakhapatnam airport, the industry is demanding for exclusive cargo flights to operate from Visakhapatnam. 

In the first quarter of present fiscal, the Visakhapatnam airport has successfully handled 133 tonnes of cargo, which comprises 49.29 tonnes of incoming cargo and 83.74 tonnes of outgoing cargo. 

There is 747 per cent growth when compared to CPLY, where the inbound cargo was 12.75 tonnes and outbound cargo was 2.94 tonnes totaling 15.70 tonnes.

During the last fiscal, the cargo handled was 296.86 tonnes, out of which 142.21 tonnes was incoming and 154.65 tonnes is out going cargo. 

With the considerable raise in future cargo handling from the airport, the entire industry is stressing the government to operate exclusive cargo flights from the airport. 

Pharma, textile, marine and several other products are being exported and here at Visakhapatnam airport.

However, due to the lack of the exclusive cargo flights, the cargo being handled through passenger flights only.

Not only international cargo, there is a tremendous growth in the domestic cargo from the airport. 

In the first quarter of the present fiscal 1,481 tonnes of cargo, which comprises 557 tonnes of incoming cargo and 924 tonnes of outgoing cargo were handled from the airport with 15.43 per cent growth rate against the CPLY. 

During previous fiscal year (2017-18), the cargo handling was 4,846 tonnes, out of which 2,260 tonnes was incoming and 2,586 tonnes was outgoing cargo.

Considering the demand for cargo handling operations, former Union Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju created several facilities to attract the industry to handle more cargo from the airport.

Expansion of infrastructure of domestic cargo, creation of Temperature Control Zones for perishable cargo, sanction of Dedicated CISF and customs manpower at cargo terminal, sanction and appointment of drug control officer for pharma exports, and sanction of animal quarantine officer to clear any marine live exports, the cargo handling operations have been increasing. 

With the facilities and development, the pharma companies started exporting and importing pharma products through Visakhapatnam cargo terminal instead of using airports from Telangana and Tamil Nadu by saving precious fuel and time, the APATA delegates O Naresh Kumar, DS Varma and Dr K Kumar Raja opined.

The Brandix has benefited by importing input raw material and exporting finished apparel directly from Visakhapatnam airport. 

The multi-product units of VSEZ have also been benefited by importing machinery parts, engineering goods and exporting diamonds through Visakhapatnam. 

The APATA will be convening a meeting with all the leading airlines and pharma companies soon.