BHUBANESWAR: The
Biju Patnaik International Airport
will handle overseas cargo from January 27, a year after operation of domestic cargo began here.
The international cargo will be handled from a dedicated place that has been earmarked near the domestic cargo hub. A pre-feasibility study has already been conducted ahead of flagging off operations. The airport hopes to handle around 1,000 metric tonne of overseas cargo annually.
An official source at the airport said Bhubaneswar central customs commissioner,
Deepak Arora, and the
Airport Authority of India
's joint general manager of cargo,
Girish Sharma
, have held discussions with airport director,
R Mahalingam
, on the modalities of operation.
The Biju Patnaik International Airport, however, is yet to have a direct international flight taking off from its runways.
"The overseas cargo will be routed through domestic airlines to destinations from where there are direct international flights. International cargo operations will have smoother passage as we will have customs clearance stations here. It will not require any further clearance at the airport; from here, goods will be shifted onto international flights. This is an advantage we will be able to provide," said the airport director.