Minister says Mangalore air cargo complex likely to be commissioned

INDIA's Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily has indicated that the air cargo complex at Mangalore airport is to be commissioned soon, reports the Hindu Business Line.

Mr Moily said the recent exporters' convention in Mangalore, organised by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), had stressed the need for an air cargo complex with cold storage facilities for agricultural produce at Mangalore airport.

Mr Moily said that he took up the matter with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, who informed him that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is building a cargo terminal at Mangalore Airport for the handling of international and domestic cargo, converting the old passenger terminal for this use.

"Cold storage facilities will be provided with the assistance of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), and the same will be used for storage and processing of perishable cargo," Mr Moily.

Mr Singh has also informed him that both international and domestic cargo terminals at the airport are likely to be commissioned by August.