The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has forecast that international and domestic cargo would grow at 10 per cent and 15 per cent for 2010-11 and 2011-12 respectively, taking 2009-10 as the base year.

The Minister for Civil Aviation, Praful Patel informed the Parliament that there was a shortfall in international cargo for 2008-09 and 2009-10, while domestic cargo had a shortfall in 2007-08 and 2008-09. However, domestic cargo registered an increase of 4.89 lakh metric tonnes in 2009-10.

He said that several steps had been initiated to strengthen cargo facilities at various airports. At Kolkata airport, the new Integrated Cargo Terminal had an annual capacity of 1.25 lakh metric tonnes and that it was sufficient to meet the requirements till 2020. At Coimbatore Airport, AAI has augmented the international export/import cargo annual handling capacity from 18,950 MT to 31,240 MT.

Chennai Airport
Phase III/IV of the New Integrated Cargo terminal, with latest Automated Storage and Retrieval System is under construction at Chennai Airport enhancing the area from 35,920 Sq.ms to 54,620 Sq.ms. With the commissioning of this project, the annual cargo handling capacity would rise from 3.5 lakh MT to 5.15 lakhs MT, is sufficient to meet the requirement till 2020.

IGI Airport, Delhi
DIAL has entered into a Joint Venture with Celebi for modernization of existing integrated brown field cargo (Terminal Size: 70,000 Sq. ms) and also awarded a concession to Cargo Service Centre for development of Green field cargo (Terminal Size: 50,000 Sq. ms).

Bengaluru International Airport
Steps have been initiated for - Establishment of Cargo village for 200 agents and freight forwarder; Providing rent-free space to animal quarantine, plant quarantine and drug controllers’ office; Increase in vertical storage space to cater to increasing cargo; Introduction of mezzanine floor in one of the cargo terminals in the future; and Streamlining of cargo transactions through e-trade initiative and in-house software.

The Minister said expansion plans in AAI managed airports included:

• Cargo terminal at Port Blair Airport has been taken over from Andaman & Nicobar Administration. Modalities are being finalized to commence the domestic cargo operations from the said Terminal.
• Construction of the Cargo terminal at Srinagar Airport is in the planning stage.
• Considering the demand of the trade, viability study for constructing the Cargo Terminal at Surat Airport is being done by AAI.
• Viability study for constructing the Cargo Terminal at Pune Airport has been completed by AAI and the matter is submitted to the appropriate authority for ‘in principle’ approval.
• The proposed Air Cargo Terminal at Patna airport is planned in joint venture between AAI and the state government.
• AAI has identified sites for establishing cold storage facility at Agartala, Dimapur & Guwahati Airports.