Frequent malfunctioning of the old x-ray scanner installed at the export cargo terminal of Tiruchi international airport to examine overseas cargo has kept the stakeholders and the shippers on tenterhooks.
The absence of an alternative machine at the export air cargo terminal witnessing brisk movement of freight every day to various overseas destinations is causing concern to the users.
The existing scanner, said to be 14-year-old, examining cargo dispatched through five international airlines has remained non-functional for the past few days at the freight terminal.
This has necessitated airport authorities to shift a machine from the passenger terminal building as a stop gap measure to scan export cargo dispatched through foreign airlines, say airport sources.
Request for a new scanner or a spare machine to act as a back up to the existing old one in case it were to develop technical snag was made quite some time ago to the authorities concerned.
Nevertheless, a new machine is still awaited, say airport sources.
Ever since the export cargo terminal was commissioned at the Tiruchi international airport in 2011, freight movement to overseas destinations from here has witnessed a steady rise.
Perishable commodities including assorted vegetables account for the bulk of export shipments dispatched through overseas passenger flights in the existing belly space.
Freight movement at Tiruchi airport has been robust - thanks to rise in international flight movements from Tiruchi over the years.
On an average around 20 tonnes of export cargo is dispatched every day with the volume rising further on Thursdays and Fridays, say the sources.
Frequent
In this scenario, frequent malfunctioning of the old scanner coupled with absence of a spare machine or provision of a new one has kept the stakeholders and exporters on tenterhooks.
The sources said many shippers arrive at the eleventh hour with their cargo – loading of which gets affected in case the machine develops technical snag. It is mandatory to scan every export before loading it into the aircraft.
With bulk of export cargo being perishables, it becomes all the more worrisome for the stakeholders and users if the freight was not dispatched on time due to scanner problem as the goods might get decayed.
Officials were on toes a few days ago when the scanner developed technical snag and the cargo consignment containing fish could not be loaded in an overseas flight operating in the evening.
The consignment was sent by next morning after changing the ice boxes.
Sources said the existing old scanner had not been functioning since August 12.
The stop gap arrangement of a machine put up in the upcoming courier terminal is not facilitating smooth process of offloading, weighing and shipping to the bonded area, say exporters.
Exporters strongly feel that the fast growing and profit making Tiruchi international airport definitely warrants a new scanner at the export cargo terminal or an alternative machine to act as a back up immediately in view of the rising freight volume. If this was done it would definitely ensure hassle-free flow of freight traffic from the airport, says a regular shipper.
Need
The need for a back up machine or a new one has gained more credence especially in the wake of a new overseas flight service to be operated to Sharjah from Tiruchi by the Air India Express from next month.
