Ground handling fees for export cargo at the airports in Dhaka and Sylhet have been reduced by five to six cents per kilogramme, according to recent sources, and all four of HSIA’s EDS machines have been fixed. The action attempts to reduce export logistics expenses and improve screening effectiveness.
Freight forwarders were quoted in reports as stating that HSIA’s screening facilities had much improved.
According to reports, a freight forwarder stated that three of the four EDS machines at Dhaka airport are continuously in operation and explosive detection dogs have also been deployed. Therefore, exporters are not anymore facing significant delays at Dhaka or Sylhet.
Due to inadequate screening capacity at Dhaka and decreased air cargo space following airline flight cancellations, exporters frequently moved products by truck through Benapole to Kolkata or Delhi prior to India’s suspension of trans-shipment. After the airport in Sylhet built its own EDS, things started to calm down.
Reports cited apparel exporters as saying, ““The pressure on Dhaka airport has eased since the EDS was installed in Sylhet.”
Rates for air cargo have likewise levelled off. Airlines currently charge roughly US $ 2.80 per kilogram from Sylhet to Europe after handling fees were reduced. Prices from Dhaka increase to between US $ 3.80 and US $ 4 per kilogram during the busiest export months of November and December.
In contrast, shipping through India used to cost between US $ 2.10 and US $ 2.20 per kilogram, with an extra US $ 0.15 to US $ 0.20 for shipping via Benapole.
Currently, Dhaka and Sylhet airports handle an average of 450 tonnes of dry goods per day during the off-season, with peak traffic reaching over 1,200 tonnes.
According to reports, a European buyer of clothing who sources from Bangladesh also praised the government’s quick installation of new scanning equipment, adding that air cargo capabilities had “improved a lot, thanks to alternative routes such as Sylhet airport.”
According to reports citing CAAB officials, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has recommended a 25% reduction in screening fees for goods headed for Europe, from eight cents to six cents.
According to additional claims citing airport officials, cargo flights are given priority at HSIA in order to encourage exports.
Airport officials added, “We’ll take extra measures in November and December to ensure smooth operations during the peak season.”
According to sources, three dry cargo consignments were processed at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet in August, according to airport officials. The facility can store 100 tonnes at this time and it is ready to grow if need rises.