Indian domestic air cargo rises 25pc in 2009-10

INDIAN domestic air cargo volume increased 25 per cent in 2009-10 to 691 million metric tonnes from 552 million tonnes the year before, surpassing government forecasts of 686 million tonnes, said Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.

International cargo volume increased 10 per cent to 1.2 billion tonnes for the year compared to 2008-09, falling below government expectations by nine per cent to 1.4 billion tonnes, a shortfall attributed to the global downturn.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) predicts 10 per cent annual growth in international cargo traffic for the next five years, reports domain-b.com Aerospace and Aviation. For the domestic cargo, it expects a 15 per cent increase in the first two years and 12 per cent in the subsequent years.

In Kolkata, the phase 1 of new integrated cargo terminal was made operational in 2008 increasing the total cargo usage area to 21,906 square metres. In Chennai, phase 3 and 4 of the cargo terminal under construction will enhance the handling capacity cover 54,620 square metres.
(Source:www.schednet.com)