NMPT may not lose cargo to airport

New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) does not find any threat to its business from the cargo business of Mangalore International Airport.

The airport may handle high value, small size and perishable goods such as marine products, vegetables and flowers. The port, on the other hand, handles bulk cargo which is very expensive to transport via aircraft.

The port handles cargo such as imported crude oil to feed industry such as Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL), fertilisers for fertiliser companies and exports refined oil.

It is learnt that the Mangalore airport may start exporting vegetables to the Gulf by air. But moving on, adequate and appropriate flights will be needed. Mangalore needs more scheduled flights and more airline capacity, reports indicate.

Mangalore was connected to Oman, Bahrain and Dubai but a scheduled flight to Saudi Arabia was required. At present, there was only a chartered flight to Saudi Arabia for Haj pilgrims.

Scheduled flights carry cargo as they have space in the belly of the craft while express flights have large passenger loads and do not carry cargo, sources informed.