Due to improved cargo facilities at the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), the coast is now exporting clawed crustaceans to China. For example, export trader Fayaz Ahmad is benefiting from the export of crabs to China, via Bengaluru and Kolkata, from the MIA’s Integrated Cargo Terminal (ICT), which became operational a few months ago. He sources the crabs from Maharashtra, coastal Karnataka and Kerala. According to an MIA spokesperson, local marine product exporters are using the ICT to route their products to overseas clientele. Fayaz Ahmed, one such exporter who ships marine products in general and crabs in particular to China via Kolkata says the cargo terminal is a boon for his ilk. “Crabs fetch a premium in the China market. The assistance given by the airport in speedy and timely dispatch of such cargo will encourage exporters to use this facility regularly,” he avers. Besides, Mangaluru-based Aquatic Biosystems also uses a cargo facility to air transport freshwater ornamental fish that has a market in India and Europe.
“The streamlined approach of handling cargo is one of the major commitments that the airport had given to the local trade body – the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) at a recent interaction meeting with their members,” the airport spokesperson said. “Efforts are on to start international cargo operations as demanded by KCCI. This will become operational once the airport receives customs clearance/custodianship for export handling,” the spokesperson added.
Post office cargo continues to dominate
Post office mail from various stakeholders dominates the bulk of the outbound cargo at MIA. General cargo, valuables, marine products, and ornamental fish form a minor part of the cargo handled. The inbound cargo on the other hand has an almost equal spread of post office mail, valuables, machinery parts, medical supplies, and medical equipment.
The ICT has also handled a variety of the occasional parcels of fruits and vegetables, and excess baggage that travelling passengers had booked as cargo. The ICT is living up to its billing of being a one-stop solution for speedier movement of cargo. This can be gauged from the fact that the terminal ever since its inauguration on May 1 this year up to September 30, has handled 1,676.21 tonnes of domestic cargo – both inbound and outbound. Out of the total cargo, the ICT has handled outbound cargo of 1,560.23 tonnes and the rest is inbound cargo.
We also published the following articles recently. Multimodal cargo hub at Noida Intl Airport to open from next yrAir India SATS Airport Services has begun construction on the integrated multimodal cargo hub at Noida International Airport. The company plans to invest a total of Rs 1,200 crore in the first phase, with the aim of inaugurating the cargo hub along with the airport in 2024. The cargo terminal, currently being built on 37 acres, will be the largest in the country. It is expected to provide smart and secure solutions to the Indian air cargo and logistics sector and boost Uttar Pradesh’s journey to becoming a one trillion-dollar economy.
BPCL offers first gasoil cargo in over a yearBharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) is offering its first spot gasoil cargo in over a year, seeking to sell at least 40,000 metric tons of 10ppm sulphur gasoil loading in October from Kochi. The move comes amidst strong profits overseas and recent deals for India-origin gasoil at higher premiums. This offering may be due to planned maintenance at its Kochi refinery. BPCL has not yet commented on the matter.
Five more cargo ships head for Ukraine’s Black Sea ports: Oleksandr Kubrakov Five additional ships are en route to Ukrainian sea ports to resume agricultural exports, bypassing the blocked Black Sea grain deal with Russia. The ships will export nearly 120,000 metric tons of Ukrainian grain to Africa and Europe. Three bulk carriers have already left Ukrainian ports carrying 127,000 tons of agricultural products and iron ore. This comes after Russia closed the Black Sea ports last year, claiming they could be used to bring in weapons. The ports were reopened in July 2022 but were recently blocked again by Russia due to demands for better terms for its own exports.