Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport on July 2, 2024, commenced international cargo operations from its integrated cargo terminal with flight IX 815 ferrying 2522kgs of fruits and vegetables to Abu Dhabi. The formal launch was done on July 5, 2024, in the presence of the AAHL Cargo team, the leadership team of the Mangaluru International Airport as well as representatives from Customs, Airline – IndiGo and Air India Express – and Airport Security Group of CISF.

This much anticipated development comes a little over a year after the Airport started domestic cargo operations on May 1, 2023. The Commissioner of Customs on May 10, 2024, had appointed the airport as Custodian as well as a Customs Cargo Service Provider, green signaling the start of international cargo operations. Working with regulatory authorities and airline partners, the airport, in the interim, vigorously pursued its status as Customs Cargo Service.

The start of international cargo operations will enable exporters from coastal Karnataka and Kerala and the hinterland to export perishables such as fresh fruits and vegetables, food, machine parts, textiles, shoes, tropical fish, frozen and dry fish, plastic coloring material and ship parts (propeller) in the form of belly cargo. IndiGo and Air India Express with their connectivity will enable exporters to send cargo to Dubai, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain.

On the domestic cargo front, the Airport has done well in handling 3706.02 tonnes of cargo in the first 11-months of its operation from May 1, 2023, during the financial year 2024-25. The total domestic cargo handled included 279.21 tonnes of inbound and 3426.8 tonnes of outbound cargo. Interestingly, 95% of the outbound domestic cargo was post-office mail, consisting of bank and UIDAI related document such as credit/debit and Aadhaar cards.