If all goes as planned, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport will soon open a new, semi-automated integrated cargo terminal by the end of this year. As part of its mega expansion plan, the city airport is expanding passenger handling capabilities as well as cargo handling capacities. Sources privy to the development confirmed that the infrastructure development of the terminal will be completed by July.
“After the infrastructure is ready, regulatory approvals from the ministry and BCAS will be required before the terminal can become operational,” said a source familiar with the development.
The new terminal, located opposite the India Meteorological Department (IMD) office on the airport campus, will cover a builtup area of 33,000 sq m and have the capacity to handle 2 lakh tonnes per month. It is designed to handle future growth in cargo volume.
The facility will manage domestic cargo, international cargo, express courier, cold-chain pharmaceuticals, and other perishable goods “The opening of the new cargo terminal is eagerly awaited due to the closure of the Gujarat Agro-owned terminal at the city airport, which has disrupted the export of perishable goods and affected exporters,” explained a source, adding: “Though a new contract has been drawn up, the terminal is yet to be operational due to non-availability of equipment and pending regulatory approvals.”
The new terminal will meet future requirements for at least 30 years. It will feature modern sorting and distribution equipment to support e-commerce logistics, allowing faster processing of both inbound and outbound cargo.