Bengaluru airport opens India's first dedicated express cargo terminal

Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (KIAB) on Friday announced the opening of the country's first dedicated express cargo terminal, which would help the private airport operator to handle over 25 per cent more cargo annually.

The express cargo market for business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) sectors has tremendous potential to grow over the next decade. It is on account of larger playing field with multiple service providers, improved transit time, and value-added services and the new facility, set up exclusively for export and import of international couriers, would cater to this demand, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) said in a release.

Developed by BIAL, the operator of the Bengaluru airport, the 2-lakh-sq-ft built-to-suit facility will house leading global express courier organisations such as DHL Express and FedEx Express, it said.

The Express Industry Council of India (EICI) will operate the common-user express terminal for other courier companies, which will add impetus to Bengaluru's already strong e-commerce base.

The terminal will have a dedicated space for customs offices and direct access to both land and airside.

"The Bengaluru airport is well on track towards becoming a cargo hub, offering world-class infrastructure, powered by leading global logistics providers.

"With express courier gaining greater significance following the exponential growth of e-commerce, the Express Cargo Terminal is a significant step towards supporting and driving this growth," said BIAL Managing Director and CEO Hari Marar.

In addition, it will facilitate trade and faster movement of goods across the world, he added.

The new facility will enable the Bengaluru airport to process 1,50,000 tonnes annually, taking the airport's overall annual cargo capacity to 7,20,000 tonnes from the existing 5,70,000 tonnes at present, BIAL said.

This is a first-of-its-kind warehousing facility at an Indian airport, which has been designed and built-to-suit, offering operators with streamlined operational workflows the provision for future expansion, it said.

Stating that the mechanised truck docks will enable quicker acceptance and delivery of freight, it said the terminal, with dedicated space for each operator, is expected to improve throughput and caters to the needs of the burgeoning industry.

"The Bengaluru airport, as we all know, is strategically located, and is a major gateway for cross-border international trade in southern India.

"With BIAL creating India's first dedicated Express Cargo Terminal, the express industry has now got a major boost to continue growing the express business and achieve greater heights," said EICI Chief Executive Officer Vijay Kumar.