THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a cause for concern for the cargo operations of Thiruvananthapuram international airport, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has asked the Kerala State Industrial Enterprises (KSIE) to vacate the cargo handling facility near the international terminal building.
The AAI has raised the demand citing that the space was required for the expansion of the airport terminal as well as setting up of remote parking bays.
While the AAI suggested that the international cargo handling could be also done from the cargo complex at Shanghumugham side of the airport, sources said that it would have practical problems especially with regard to handling of perishable export cargo.
If AAI insists on shifting the cargo handling facility, KSIE may suggest another alternative space near the international terminal building for relocating the facility.
The state public sector undertaking KSIE has been running the cargo complex at the Thiruvananthapuram airport over the last many years.
The cargo handling facility of about 4,000 square-metre was set up near the international terminal building at Chakkai side when the new terminal was commissioned. It was to help the airlines take cargo easily.
Airport director George Tharakan said that airport building need to be expanded and four remote parking bays are also being set up. The AAI was badly in need of the space and asked KSIE to vacate the space and operate from the cargo complex at Shanghumugham.
However, sources said that transportation of cargo between the Shanghumugham cargo complex and the international terminal along the perimetre road, which is about five kilometre long, involved many practical difficulties like infrastructure requirement. Moreover, the chances of perishable export cargo getting damaged while being carried through the perimeter road are also very high.
