TIRUCHY: While the number of flights operated from the Tiruchy International Airport to various overseas destinations has touched pre-pandemic levels, the volume of cargo handled is yet to pick up. Meanwhile, exporters pitch a dedicated freight service as the lone solution.
The airport's old terminal was converted into a cargo terminal and declared a cargo port on November 21, 2011.
Following that the Central Board of Excise and Customs notified it an export cargo terminal. Initially, that is during 2012-13, the terminal handled about 2,400 tonnes of cargo which went up to 6,500 tonnes during 2015-16.
While passenger traffic at the airport, which stood at 12.5 lakh (domestic traffic included) during 2015-16, recorded a 41% increase to touch 17.63 lakh in 2023-24, cargo shipment failed to register any such significant growth. The volume of cargo handled during 2023-24, which was 6,612 tonnes, hasn’t been far off from the 6,583 tonnes handled during 2015.
The maximum figure the airport recorded was during 2019-20, before the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, when about 8,000 tonnes of cargo shipment was handled. With about 90 flights now being operated to overseas destinations like Singapore and Gulf countries every week and the passenger occupancy in almost every flight touching 95%, operators prioritise only passengers and their luggage, and not transporting cargo, rues Managing Director of MB Cargo R Muralidharan.
"During pre-Covid period, airlines allowed us to consign five to seven tonnes per flight, as there was space in the belly. Now, we are unable to find space even to transport two tonnes, as passengers’ luggage fill up the space. Sometimes passengers' luggage too are offloaded due to space constraints. Operation of dedicated cargo freight will be the only solution to consign the required volume of cargo without encountering offload," he added. Meanwhile, airport authorities admitted that there is a slowdown in cargo shipment since the pandemic.
Efforts are, however, being taken to accommodate at least two tonnes in each flight. Being an agrarian region, Tiruchy has the potential to consign perishables. Exporters should strive hard to bring a dedicated freighter at Tiruchy airport, which will pave the way for the growth of all stakeholders, a senior airport official said.
Financial year - Cargo consigned (in tonnes):
2015-16 - 6,579
2016-17 - 6,848
2017-18 - 6,537
2018-19 - 6,932
2019-20 - 8,112
2020-21 - 2,740
2021-22 - 4,945
2022-23 - 6,422
2023-24 - 6,612