Coimbatore: In spite of having a huge potential and all the facilities, lack of more international flights and high freight charges are the reason for more than 75% of the industry goods exported from Coimbatore are sent through Cochin and Bengaluru international airports.
Coimbatore: In spite of having a huge potential and all the facilities, lack of more international flights and high freight charges are the reason for more than 75% of the industry goods exported from Coimbatore are sent through Cochin and Bengaluru international airports.
The long pending Coimbatore International Airport has been crawling through at snail pace even after the land prices have been fixed. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have regularly seen wide-body aircraft land in Coimbatore International Airport. Thus it’s clear that Coimbatore and Tamilnadu’s potential has been held back for lack of political will and this is impacting the GDP of the city and state at large.
At present as far as passengers movements are concerned, only domestic flight services are allowed to operate and in the international sector only repatriation flights are permitted.
Post pandemic outbreak cargo flight operations were allowed to operate without any restriction. In spite there is a steady growth witnessed but still normalcy has not returned in the airport.
At present on an average each month 600 tonnes of cargos are handled in the domestic sector and 150 tonnes of cargo in the international sector.
Industry goods (Engineering products) are exported majorly from Coimbatore. Out of the total, more than 75% of the engineering goods that are sent from Coimbatore are sent through Cochin and Bengaluru International Airports.
About Bonded Truck Operations:
A Special agreement will be made with the truck operators to carry the cargos which are loaded at Coimbatore to be sent via road to Cochin and Bengaluru airports.
From there the cargos will be loaded in various international flights with which the Coimbatore International Airport cargo office would have made an agreement.
These services play a vial role to help the industrialists, farmers and various other sectors to send their goods to foreign countries for which the flight services are not provided in the airport which are located nearby.
Aviation Sources said, “High freight charges and lack of more international flight connectivities are some of the main reasons for more industry goods are transported via road through trucks to Cochin and Bengaluru and from there they are sent to various European countries.
At present each month, out of the total 150 tonnes of cargo handled in the export sector, only 30 tonnes of cargo are sent through the flights which are operated at Coimbatore.
The Remaining 120 tonnes of cargos are sent through either Cochin or Bengaluru International Airports.
Implementation of airport expansion scheme at the earliest, increasing the international flight services and above all reducing the freight charges will help more cargos to be exported directly from Coimbatore international airport directly." Aviation sources said.