The GMR-run Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has been shut for international and domestic traffic for the last few days. However, air cargo services are operational to keep the vital link of essential supplies alive and operational round the clock.
GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo is working in close coordination with customs, ground handlers, forwarders, CHAs (Customs House Agents), regulators, State police and cargo trade associations, to keep rolling the critical chain of essential supplies such as medicines, vaccines, medical equipment, pharma raw material, defence goods, and bank related material, among others, informed an official spokesperson.
About 100 tonnes of export and import cargo are being carried out daily, of which over 70% consignment belongs to pharma and essential products of Dr. Reddys Laboratories, Aurobindo Pharma, Mylan Laboratories, Hetero Drugs, Divis Laboratories, MSN Pharma, Pfizer, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Natco Pharma.
Close to 50 general trucks, temperature-controlled ones and others, are moving to and fro the cargo hold for pick-up and delivery of these items. Around 200 dedicated personnel are working in shifts to handle the 11 freighters coming in weekly along with special cargo charters connecting Hyderabad with international destinations such as US, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Far East.
Key scheduled freighters include Cathay Cargo, Turkish Cargo, Qatar Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, SpiceXpress Cargo (domestic and international) and BlueDart Cargo. Any change over of the crew of any of the freighter flight is taken care from the main passenger terminal building in close coordination with the bare necessary staffing of terminal operations, immigrations, customs, ground handlers and air-side operations team.
According to the spokesperson, the crew are screened with the help of an Airport Health Officer and only then allowed to exit the airport building. The air freighters also take fuel from GHIAL fuel farm available 24x7. The import cargo is catering mainly to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, for vital supplies.
The airport is keeping the labour volume to the minimum and sanitising it round the clock for utmost safety. Total screening by infra-red thermal gun at entries for all incoming staff at cargo premises, personal protective equipment with gown, gloves, cap and masks for personnel, health monitoring, fumigation, frequent cleaning of human touch points as well as work stations, are being rigorously practised, the spokesperson added.
