Cargo Growth Rate at Coimbatore Airport
Coimbatore: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) owned and operated cargo terminal at Coimbatore International Airport handled 3,277 metric tonnes of international cargo during 2017-18 registering 22% growth than the previous year, said officials here on Tuesday. During 2016-17, the tonnage was 2,683 metric tonnes.
Apart from the growth in the international cargo movement, both import and export witnessed upward trend in the concluded fiscal year.
While import increased to 204 tonnes from 98 tonnes, export rose to 3,073 tonnes from 2,585 tonnes.
While castings, foodstuffs, vegetables, turmeric concentrate and fabrics constituted exports through the airport, components, raw materials and accessories stood for imports.
The growth was partially owing to additional flight operated by SriLankan Airlines from July 2017. Goods of offline carriers such as Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Ethihad and FedEx were also moved through bonded trucking to gateway airports.
According to a senior official of AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited, cargos volume for current fiscal will go up further.
With no freighter operation, cargos are uplifted in all passenger flights in the available belly space and also through bonded trucking.
SriLankan Airlines, Air Arabia, Silk Air and Air India Express are lifting international cargos from Coimbatore airport.
Indigo Airlines and Jet Airways also carry international cargo up to Mumbai and New Delhi for onward carriage.
