Cochin International Airport’s focus on non-perishable goods helped it to register a five per cent increase in the volume of cargo handled during the first nine months of the current fiscal. From April to December 2012, the airport handled 34,305 tonne of cargo, against 32,950 tonne in the same period a year ago.
Of this, international cargo accounted for 28,660 tonne (exports 21,265 tonne and imports 7395 tonne) and domestic cargo 5,645 tonne. Traditionally, airports in Kerala handle perishable goods such as vegetables, fruits, fish and flowers, mainly for export to Gulf countries.
A senior official of Cochin International Airport Ltd, the company which runs the airport, said that their efforts to diversify to general cargo helped the airport maintain this marginal growth in volume. General cargo including electronic goods, spices, rubber products, textiles and ayurvedic medicine, now account for 35-40 per cent of the total volume.
Considering the general trend in air cargo traffic, a five per cent increase in volume is reasonable, the official pointed out. Earlier, more than 70 per cent of the international cargo handled by the airport included perishable items such as vegetables, fruits, raw fish, flowers and frozen shrimp.
The official said setting up of a Perishable Cargo Centre with a capacity to store 25,000 tonne is expected to help improve cargo volume in this category too. The centre would be beneficial to agricultural and seafood exporters in the region.
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