By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 27, 2017 : Modern international cargo operations along with custom clearance facilities have been operationalized at Biju Pattanik International Airport (BPIAP), here. The consignments can directly be dispatched to various countries of the world. Two consignments – marine products of Mahalaxmi Exports and spices products of Bharat Spices were booked at the time of resumption of this modern facility.

Flagging off the operation, Odisha chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said, from now the cargo exports would be made in a more systematic and scientific manner. The consignments can directly be dispatched to various countries of the world, he added.

Joining the open house discussion among the state government officials, airport authorities, custom officials and leading exporters at the Air port on this occasion, Padhi said resumption of modern international cargo operation at BPIAP has completed three principal routes of exports from Odisha viz. electronic route, sea route and air route.

Export facilities through air route would boost production, processing, packing and other allied activities in the sectors like gems, jewelries, costly minerals, fruits, vegetables, marine products, appliqué works, stone artefacts, handicrafts, manufacturing and food processing etc. All these would create more employment opportunities in the State, he claimed.

Joining the occasion as Guest of honor, principal secretary micro, small & medium enterprises Laxmi Narayan Gupta said that the total export worth from the State in the FY 2015-16 was around Rs.20591 crore. The export worth has already crossed Rs.18,300 crore by October, 2016 of current FY i.e.2016-17. In the scenario of growing exports from Odisha, resumption of international cargo facility would be an added advantage to the exporters in various sectors, he remarked.

In fact, international cargo operation was started at Bhubaneswar air port in the year 1995 which continued up to 2003. The operations however were discontinued from 2003.

The exporters shared their concerns with regard to early custom clearance, operationalization of cold storage facility at the airport, scanning of the fish and other marine product packets instead of opening and repacking for security checks etc with the respective authorities.

Commissioner Customs, Deepak Arora assured that due care would be taken for early dispatch of the consignments with special attention on dispatch of the perishable products. More particularly, he assured that the clearance of all perishable commodities would be done within three hours at the cargo terminal.

BPIAP has been growing at an encouraging rate during last couple of years. Presently, the airport is operating on H24 basis with connectivity to Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Port Blair, Vizag and Varanasi air ports. The passenger traffic during 2016-17 up to 31st December has grown at the rate of 23.11% over the last year i.e. 2015-16. The cargo traffic has also grown at 19.10% during the same period.