Indore airport to get domestic air cargo facility soon

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has received bids from five companies for the license to run the domestic air cargo facility at Indore airport.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has received bids from five companies for the license to run the domestic air cargo facility at Indore airport.

The-Airports-Authority-of-India-has-received-bids-from-five-companies-for-the-license-to-run-the-domestic-air-cargo-facility-at-Indore-airport-Arun-Mondhe-HT-photo

“Once the contract is awarded, the successful bidder will have 90 days time to launch the cargo facility, so it should become operational in about three months,” airport director Manoj Chansoria said.

The common user domestic air cargo terminal will make it easier for companies in the region to ship goods, especially perishable goods, to other parts of the country. Pharmaceutical and food processing sectors are expected to benefit the most from the facility, industry sources said.

“A portion of the old terminal building, about 500 square meters, has been earmarked for the domestic cargo terminal. As per rough estimates, the terminal should handle about 20-22 tonnes of cargo daily,” Chansoria said.

As per the terms of the tender document, the successful bidder will be permitted to carry out infrastructural modifications at the old terminal building, while following the appropriate guidelines, to make it suitable for cargo-handling operations.

This includes construction of a cold storage area for stocking perishable goods such as fruits, vegetables, flowers and processed food products. The successful bidder will have to pay a fixed license fee of Rs 5.24 lakh per month apart from utility charges and royalty, as applicable.

A temporary cargo office has been set up in the new terminal building and a scanner has been commissioned for security.