TRICHY: Though the Trichy International Airport has the entire infrastructure for handling imports, its cargo division is losing considerable revenue as not a single shipment has been recorded in the past four years. The only imports the airport receives are coffins that come from several places abroad, and that too free of cost. The revenue from imports is always higher than from exports, and exports through the airport have been surging for the past few years.
According to senior officials attached to the cargo division of the airport, most agents try to bring in shipments to the city from domestic airports such as those in Bangalore and Chennai. The agents complain that a lot of revenue is lost as the airport lacks a conducive environment for cargo dealers. With no prospects seen for imports, freight carriers were not showing any interest, the officials told TOI.
Sources at the airport said the Customs Clearance Facilitation Committee meetings that used to be held between the AAI and Customs officials to address grievances stood suspended for the past two months.
Two months ago, a businessman from JK Nagar wanted to import poultry feed from Kuala Lumpur through Air Asia that flies to the city. The dealer was prepared to pay the required tax and duty for the consignments, but the airport is yet to receive the cargo.
Trichy Airport Director BCH Negi said: “The airport has all possible infrastructure to handle imports, but the airport has so far not received any import from any airline abroad.” He added that the meetings with customs authorities were positive and it was now the turn of the airlines to bring in imports.
The customs and central excise departments recently advised Sri Lankan airlines not to take any passengers’ personal baggage via the cargo route in order to avoid illegal transportation of goods. A senior official from the customs said: “Several passengers bring illegal goods such as gold and currency in their personal baggage and whenever they are dropped by the airlines at the airports, the Sri Lankan airlines was pushing it through cargo route.” The customs department has even appointed an Assistant Commissioner exclusively to monitor the consignment at the cargo end of the airport.
