Madurai: Madurai airport will become an international terminal in every sense by April 2017, when it will start handling international cargo as the Department of Central Excise and Customs on Thursday issued custodianship for the same to Airports Authority of India.
Announcing this, Airport Director V.V. Rao said a few infrastructure facilities, including security measures, needed to be put in place before international cargo movement was allowed from Madurai airport.
At present, international flights were being operated from Madurai to Colombo and Dubai. “We have a huge potential for sending international cargo, especially perishable goods such as vegetables, fruits and flowers, particularly to Gulf countries. Now, they are being sent through other airports,” Mr. Rao said.
He said security measures such as installation of closed circuit television camera network, deployment of additional manpower and some ancillary works would soon be taken up.
He thanked Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry for its continuous support for expediting the process at different levels.
The issuing of order giving custodianship to the airport had come after the Chamber, along with exporters of the region, gave an undertaking that they would not demand a cold storage facility which was mandatory for operation of international cargo facility at the airport, said Chamber president N. Jegadeesan.
Senior president of the Chamber S. Rethinavelu said this submission in writing was given to Chief Commissioner of Central Excise and Customs Janaki Arun Kumar in Coimbatore, its Commissioner V. Rajendran and Joint Commissioner Pydi Rama Prasad in Madurai in October.
He added that 180 tonnes of fresh vegetables and fruits were being exported to Gulf countries every month, and 60 tonnes of flowers to the Middle East, Europe, Canada and South East Asian countries from southern districts.
“These goods are being exported through airports in Thiruvananthapuram, Calicut, Kochi, Tiruchi and Chennai. At present, our exporters are ready to export whatever little quantity is possible to be exported from Madurai on a daily basis which would cut down on their expenditure,” he added.
However, Mr. Rao said efforts would be taken up to put up cold storage facility at the earliest.
Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority had promised to sponsor the cold storage facility, Mr. Rethinavelu said.
