Coimbatore airport is losing cargo revenue
Coimbatore airport is losing cargo revenue to the airports at Kochi and Bangalore because it lacks a plant quarantine office (PQO). The PQO prevents the introduction and spread of harmful pests and diseases in the state, as well as certifying plants and agricultural goods for export. Coimbatore airport caters to the nearby districts of Salem, Erode, Nilgiris and Dharmapuri, which export large volumes of industrial and farm produce. The Coimbatore region is a major producer of textiles, machine tools, water pumps, metallurgy, textile machinery, farm equipment, poultry and auto components. The region also produces a large number of crops including paddy, tea, sugarcane, cotton, turmeric, onion, coconut and flowers. “There is not even a single quarantine certifying officer to give clearance for agri goods in such a highly industrialised and farm activity-oriented region. As such, there is no offtake of perishable commodities from this region,” a source in the airport told.A cross-section of agro industrialists felt the Airports Authority of India (AAI), besides setting up a PQO here, should arrange for chartered flights and also reserve space on a priority basis on regular flights for export of mango during the season and for regular exports of other agricultural commodities. Limited flights from Coimbatore and lack of cargo space on passenger flights lare major handicaps in generating sufficient volumes. Also, the cargo fare structure on the Coimbatore-Chennai sector, which works out to around Rs 8-10 a kg is seen as another disincentive for direct cargo shipment from Coimbatore. “This prompts shippers to take bulk cargo to Kochi, Bangalore or Chennai to beat the high cost involved,” the source pointed out.
