The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and its cargo arm AAICLAS are set to operationalise a dedicated perishable cargo centre at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, marking a major boost for Northeast India’s agri-export and air cargo ecosystem.
Developed by the Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), the facility is nearing completion and is expected to be inaugurated by the end of March. A joint team comprising officials from AAI, AAICLAS, AIDC and the Assam government recently inspected the project site ahead of commissioning.
The centre is being developed on 4,050 sqm of land leased by AAI to AIDC in 2017 for a nominal licence fee of Re 1 per annum under a Union Civil Aviation Ministry directive approved by the Cabinet. Designed to handle 10,000 metric tonnes of perishable cargo annually, the project is expected to significantly strengthen Assam’s export logistics infrastructure.
Built at an estimated cost of around Rs 19.84 crore, the facility will provide integrated cargo processing services for fruits, vegetables and other perishables destined for domestic and international markets. The project includes a one-stop facilitation centre equipped with Customs EDI systems along with support infrastructure for airlines, freight forwarders, customs brokers, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), banks and plant quarantine services.
The foundation stone for the cargo centre was laid in January 2019 by former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who had then highlighted plans to connect Assam’s agricultural produce with markets in London, Singapore, Dubai, Europe, America and Southeast Asia.
The upcoming facility is expected to enhance cold-chain logistics, reduce transit losses and improve export opportunities for farmers and agri-producers across the Northeast region.
