THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Anticipating the future prospects of air cargo industry, more players are eyeing the cargo complex at Thiruvananthapuram international airport with offers of making it a world-class facility. The move also raises concerns whether the public sector firm, Kerala State Industrial Enterprises (KSIE), which is now running the cargo complex there, will be sidelined. The Airlines Operators' Committee (AOC) in Thiruvananthapuram organised a meeting of stakeholders in the industry here on Thurdsay to discuss the need to spruce up cargo handling facilities.
The officials of KSIE, which has been running the cargo complex at Thiruvananthapuram airport since 1977, informed that they had already prepared the plans for a Rs 60-crore facility and were awaiting allocation of suitable land. AISATS, a joint venture firm of Air India and Singapore Airport Terminal Services, and AAI Cargo and Logistics Allied Services Company Ltd (AAICLAS), a subsidiary of Airports Authority of India, have also come up with proposals for setting up world-class cargo facility. AI-SATS even offered to have joint venture arrangements with KSIE.
AOC chairman Vijay Bhushan said that the meeting was the fist step towards improving the facilities. “KSIE, AAI and AI-SATS presented their plans and further follow-up will be done,” he said. “With the Vizhinjam port coming up and online shopping business activities increasing, there would be considerable increase in cargo business from Thiruvanantha-puram in the coming days. Hence we need to have a world-class facility to tap the opportunities,” said Mr Bhushan.
Airport Users' Consultative Committee chairman Reghuchandran Nair said that there was a pressing need to have a world-class cargo complex in Thiruvananthapuram to regain the cargo handling business. Since getting fresh piece of land for a new cargo complex was nearly impossible owing to the stiff local resistance towards land acquisitions, the suggestion was to either spruce up the existing cargo complex at Shanghumugham or develop the old domestic terminal at Shanghu-mugham. For hassle-free transportation of international cargo, the perimeter road of the airport will be further developed.
KSIE chief operating officer and general manager A. Abdul Rehiman said that KSIE had already prepared a detailed project report for a top cargo complex with 5,000 square metre space for import cargo and 6,000 square metre space for export cargo. Being a government agency with rich experience, KISE will also get financial support of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority and Marine Products Exports Development Authority for the facility, he said. As per the master plan of the Thiruvananthapuram airport development, a piece of land near Vallakadavu side was proposed for the new cargo complex. But due to protests from locals, acquiring that land was almost impossible, said sources.
