Canopy construction apace in front of air cargo terminal

Exporters would not be facing hardships in future while despatching goods during intense heat condition or rainy season as the work of establishing a huge canopy in front of the air cargo terminal is apace.

Six pillars have been erected at key spots as part of the civil works for the canopy construction in front of the export cargo area.

The pillars would have metal roofing above them to provide cover for the exporters to despatch their cargo without any difficulty all through the year.

Heeding persistent demand from the exporters who raised the issue of establishment of a canopy at various meetings, the Airports Authority of India obtained sanction from its regional headquarters for its detailed proposal of erecting a shelter in front of the export cargo terminal.

Airport sources said the canopy work was being executed at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh and would be completed before June. The canopy would be established in such a way that goods carriers of varying heights could be easily accommodated inside, the sources said.

In the absence of a canopy at present, exporters had been facing difficulty while despatching cargo during summer and during inclement weather conditions.

The hardship was acutely felt during rains when the cargo gets drenched while being despatched in the absence of a shelter. The canopy would provide shelter to vehicles and offloading platform.

The canopy would now address the long-felt demand of the exporters as it would enable them to handle cargo easily, said an airport official.

Perishable commodities such as assortment of vegetables, fruits, and flowers account for bulk of cargo exported from the Tiruchi international airport to various foreign destinations every day, including Singapore.

Cargo is lifted in the existing belly space available in Sri Lankan Airways, Tiger Airways and Air Asia.

On an average, 15 to 20 tonnes of cargo was exported every day with the main market being Singapore. Air India Express has started lifting about one tonne of cargo regularly to Singapore.

The sources said air cargo movement crossed 600 tonnes for the first time in April from Tiruchi airport.

Source