Perishable air cargo piles up in Chennai ground handlers strike

A GROUND HANDLERS strike at the Chennai air cargo hub has brought operations to a near standstill with more than 300 tonnes of exports, much of it perishable and piled up near the runway, reports the Times of India.

The Chennai air cargo hub handles consignments from at least 50 aircraft a day, including freighters and belly cargo on passenger flights. The cargo includes perishables, telecom products and auto parts.

Airport officials confirmed that export cargo operations had to be stopped due to a lack of space for unloading and segregating consignments.

"There is no option to divert cargo to other airports," said Chennai Customs House Agents Association president AV Vijayakumar.

Workers of Bhadra ground handling company went on strike last week, demanding higher wages, medical and canteen facilities.