The Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) facilitated the inbound handling of arecanut at its Integrated Cargo Terminal (ICT) this month.
The red variety of arecanut weighing 1,519kg in 60 bags, was ferried as belly air cargo from Agartala to Mangaluru. This is the highest quantity of the crop that the integrated cargo terminal has handled since it started domestic cargo operations on May 1, 2023, according to the MIA spokesperson.
The arecanut handled was procured by Srinivasa Supari Traders, a Shivamogga-based arecanut trading company.
It marks the highest single-day inbound cargo that the ICT has handled since May 1, 2023.
The ICT in the past had handled inbound parcels of arecanut, although in smaller quantities . The company representatives, who received the consignment, later transported the crop by road to Shivamogga for further processing.
Airlifting of arecanut was also a first for the company, that otherwise regularly sources this crop by road from various parts of the country, including Agartala. “The Integrated Cargo Terminal is facilitating seamless flow of various types of cargo– both to and from Mangaluru International Airport,” the airport spokesperson said.
The ICT has emerged as one of the largest handlers of outbound post office mail cargo domestically. Export of seafood (live crabs) to international markets through domestic transit hubs is also a speciality of the cargo terminal. Since it commenced operations, the ICT has handled 2,714.3 tonnes of cargo, including 2,523.9 tonnes of outbound and 190.3 tonnes of inbound cargo. International cargo operations will commence in Feb 2024.