With new international tag, Trichy airport hopes to go for a makeover
TRICHY: Despite a number of odds stacked up against the Trichy airport, it had managed to export 991 tonnes of cargo from December 2011 to May 31 this year. After the refurbished cargo terminal was opened to exporters at a cost of Rs one crore on November 22 last, the airport had exported 93 tonnes in December and it gradually increased to 285 tonnes in May.
Though the one-time holding capacity of the cargo terminal is 250 metric tonnes, the average daily export of nine to 10 tonnes from Trichy is considered laudable because only three airlines - Air Asia, Sri Lankan Airways and Mihin Lanka - agreed to carry cargo. Moreover, the contribution of Mihin Lanka is negligible as it carries an average of only five tonnes of export cargo a month. Since the cargo is carried in the passenger flights where the space availability is less in an A320 aircraft, and airlines like Tiger Airways and Air India Express not yet accepting export cargo, the export potential is all set to take off to greater heights.
However, there is more good news. Airport director S Dharmaraj confirmed to TOI on Thursday that Tiger Airways that operates daily to Singapore had agreed to carry cargo from June 15 and this would increase the exports by another 60 to 70 tonnes a month. "We have been constantly writing to Air India Express to carry cargo from Trichy airport and this time we expect a positive reply sooner than later," Dharmaraj added.
Now that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced that the Trichy airport would be accorded international status, it is further expected to boost infrastructure development at the airport on a war-footing. Furthermore, the stalemate over the land acquisition to expand the runway from the existing 8,136 feet to 12,000 feet might be overcome and an expanded runway would enable jumbo aircraft to land and facilitate the export of green plantain from the largest banana producing region, textiles from Karur and marine products from Nagapattinam and Ramanathapuram.
A number of efforts are underway to boost exports further. A cargo facilitation committee including airline operators, customs officers, IATA agents, exporters and importers under the aegis of Airports Authority of India has been formed and it meets every second Thursday. The committee has already conducted three meetings and the fourth will be held on June 14. "This time, we are planning to invite representatives from the Trichy-based National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) who could play a pivotal role in promoting exports from this region," Dharmaraj said. Interestingly, three of the banana scientists attached to NRCB were in April this year honoured with fellowship award by Association for Improvement in Production and Utilization of Banana (AIPUB).
A lot more needs to be done though. As much as 90% of the exports constitute perishables such as drumsticks, onions, flowers and coconut, and the general cargo needs to be given a boost. Dharmaraj is also trying to usher in the service of Bonded Trucking Operation by which concept a cargo load could be exported to Europe from Chennai through an international flight that might not touch Trichy airport where the cargo would be cleared by the customs and transported to the gateway airport, say Chennai, by road.
Though the one-time holding capacity of the cargo terminal is 250 metric tonnes, the average daily export of nine to 10 tonnes from Trichy is considered laudable because only three airlines - Air Asia, Sri Lankan Airways and Mihin Lanka - agreed to carry cargo. Moreover, the contribution of Mihin Lanka is negligible as it carries an average of only five tonnes of export cargo a month. Since the cargo is carried in the passenger flights where the space availability is less in an A320 aircraft, and airlines like Tiger Airways and Air India Express not yet accepting export cargo, the export potential is all set to take off to greater heights.
However, there is more good news. Airport director S Dharmaraj confirmed to TOI on Thursday that Tiger Airways that operates daily to Singapore had agreed to carry cargo from June 15 and this would increase the exports by another 60 to 70 tonnes a month. "We have been constantly writing to Air India Express to carry cargo from Trichy airport and this time we expect a positive reply sooner than later," Dharmaraj added.
Now that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced that the Trichy airport would be accorded international status, it is further expected to boost infrastructure development at the airport on a war-footing. Furthermore, the stalemate over the land acquisition to expand the runway from the existing 8,136 feet to 12,000 feet might be overcome and an expanded runway would enable jumbo aircraft to land and facilitate the export of green plantain from the largest banana producing region, textiles from Karur and marine products from Nagapattinam and Ramanathapuram.
A number of efforts are underway to boost exports further. A cargo facilitation committee including airline operators, customs officers, IATA agents, exporters and importers under the aegis of Airports Authority of India has been formed and it meets every second Thursday. The committee has already conducted three meetings and the fourth will be held on June 14. "This time, we are planning to invite representatives from the Trichy-based National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) who could play a pivotal role in promoting exports from this region," Dharmaraj said. Interestingly, three of the banana scientists attached to NRCB were in April this year honoured with fellowship award by Association for Improvement in Production and Utilization of Banana (AIPUB).
A lot more needs to be done though. As much as 90% of the exports constitute perishables such as drumsticks, onions, flowers and coconut, and the general cargo needs to be given a boost. Dharmaraj is also trying to usher in the service of Bonded Trucking Operation by which concept a cargo load could be exported to Europe from Chennai through an international flight that might not touch Trichy airport where the cargo would be cleared by the customs and transported to the gateway airport, say Chennai, by road.
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