Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport recently inaugurated a facility to handle international courier and express cargo consignments. With this, the new cargo terminal is likely to boost import and export trade from the airport.
The additional cargo terminal handling capacity at the airport, in addition to adding incremental cargo handling capacity to the airport’s cargo infrastructure, provides an additional choice of services for the trade at the airport. The infrastructure and proximity of the new cargo terminal to both domestic and international passenger terminals are expected to significantly improve the service levels of cargo handling at the airport and beyond.
The new cargo terminal with over 100 tonnes per day capacity, an average of 3500 metric tonnes a month, will be operate round the clock. The terminal provides end-to-end terminal handling services encompassing cityside handling, security functions, storage, terminal processing, and airside handling, under close monitoring and supervision to ensure the safety of the cargo.
The terminal will also facilitate bonded road feeder services related to the handling of trucks that connect international bonded cargo between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. This makes a seamless transfer of bonded cargo between the two airports, possible with complete transparency and real-time tracking of shipments. The security and handling equipment deployed at the new terminal is slated to be state of art. The IT system deployed includes all modern IT automation features, all functional modules, and a cargo community system.
Importantly, the new cargo terminal is equipped to handle general pharmaceutical and perishable goods with temperature control from 15 to 25 degrees centigrade. The terminal will also be able to handle machinery parts, consol cargo, readymade garments, fabrics, dyes, chemicals, valuable cargo, and other commodities.
The terminal complex will soon have a dedicated airside transhipment facility and an international courier handling corridor.
As per a release from the company, the new cargo terminal became operational on 20 April 2022, in the presence of senior delegates from Customs, BCAS, and other regulatory agencies, as well as senior officials from both the airport and AAHL.
