Ashok inaugurates air cargo at airport

Visakhapatnam: Minister for Civil Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated the new international air cargo complex here at international airport on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that the NDA government has given a big boost to the civil aviation by emphasising on regional connectivity, particularly in Andhra Pradesh in the past three years.

The Andhra Pradesh government had given land for the extension of the runways in Vijayawada and Rajahmahendravaram to facilitate the landing of bigger aircrafts. The facilities at the Visakhapatnam airport would be further improved and the new Greenfield Airport at Bhogapuram area in Vizianagaram district would also come up for future needs of the region, Ashok Gajapathi Raju said.

The inauguration of the international air cargo was a small beginning and Visakhapatnam airport would compete with the Mumbai and Chennai airports in cargo handling in future. The Visakhapatnam region is having vast potential for both import and export of several cargos, Ashok Gajapathi Raju said.

To manage the facility, more professionally for the convenience of the local traders and exporters, the APTPC has given to operation and maintenance contract to GSEC Limited, Gujarati-based company. The bonded trucking movement would be started in the complex to enable exporters and importers to use gateway airports, including Hyderabad and Chennai, for their international connectivity, said that the GSEC officials.

Admitting delay in starting the facility, Director of Visakhapatnam airport G Prakash Reddy said that the complex had all the facilities and airport would register good growth in cargo handling. Visakhapatnam MP K Haribabu also addressed the gathering.