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Chandigarh airport set to start cargo services from November, rates fixed
Domestic and international cargo, including perishable goods, will be handled at five cargo sheds at Chandigarh International Airport
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Six years after getting the international tag, the Chandigarh International Airport is all set to launch its cargo facility in the first week of November.
Airport authorities have decided the rates for both domestic and international cargo, including perishable goods, that will be handled at five cargo sheds (see box). The cargo complex has come up on 14,127 square metres at a cost of ₹11.5 crore.
“Our cargo facility will be the biggest after Delhi in north India and will offer the most reasonable rates as compared to other airports in the region. We are waiting for one notification, which is expected in a week and are hopeful of starting the facility by November 1,” said Ajay Bhardwaj, chief executive officer, Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHAIL).
Air cargo or air freight allows speedy transportation of commercial goods through an air carrier. At present, CHAIL only provides a common screening facility for domestic cargo, while the airlines — Air India, IndiGo, Vistara and GoAir — are handling the goods on their own.
It was on September 11, 2015, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Chandigarh International Airport. But the Punjab government announced the air cargo facility only in February this year. Presenting the budget, finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal had said the facility will give a boost to the industry, and provide it better access to international and domestic markets.
Yogesh Sagar, president, Mohali Industries Association, said, “An accessible air cargo facility was a long-pending requirement. At present, we have to send consignments by road to the Delhi airport, where they are lined up for 24 to 48 hours before being loaded on an aircraft.”
