The city airport has yet again fallen behind other metro airports in terms of the volume and growth of cargo handled, handling 2.77 lakh tonnes in the April-Jan period this year against 2.84 lakh tonnes in the same period in the previous year, a decline of 2.6%.
Since April 2023, the airport handled a higher volume of cargo only in May (28,800 tonnes), Oct (27,754 tonnes) and Dec (28,024 tonnes).
However, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi carried more volume and registered a growth of 4%-8% in Apr-Jan period. Kolkata handled 50% less volume than Chennai, but recorded 6% growth.
Though Chennai airport handled more cargo during the pandemic period and recorded an increase till 2021-22, the cargo volume started to decline since 2022-23 after passenger traffic picked up.
In 2022-23, too, the airport handled less volume of cargo compared to the previous year, a decline of 1.5%.
An official with an airline said the limitations faced by the airport in handling passenger flights and cargo aircraft was a reason for the lack of sustained growth.
There is a need for more taxiways and bays that can handle giant freighter aircraft. It is not easy to expand facilities at an already functioning airport that does not have much land for use, said an official. However, Airports Authority of India (AAI) is working to expand its capacity to handle passengers and freight.
The location of the airport on the intercontinental air route connecting Europe with south-east Asia makes it convenient for freighters to use it as a hub for regional and international trade. It handles more international cargo than domestic cargo. In the April-Jan period, Chennai handled 2.09 lakh tonnes international cargo against 67,000 tonnes domestic cargo.
An airport official said facilities to handle, store and sort cargo had improved over the years and additional bays were created for parking freighters. “It is not fair to compare the airport with brownfield airports like Bengaluru, which do not have limitations in terms of land availability,” he added. Chennai airport handles auto components, machinery, textiles, leather, and perishable goods.