Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) continues to be the No.1 airport for handling perishable shipments from India.
BLR Airport recorded 52,366 Metric Tonnes (MT) of perishable shipments in FY 2021-22, compared to the previous year’s 48,130 MT. 41% of South India’s air-cargo perishable tonnage is currently handled by BLR Airport making it the leading airport for perishables in India.
Fruits and vegetables along with the export of poultry and flowers have been major segments driving this growth. 36,493 MT of poultry and 1,952 MT of flowers were exported from BLR Airport in FY ’22.
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Doha emerged as the leading destination followed by Singapore, London, and Male. A total of 33 cargo freighter airlines transported perishable shipments from BLR Airport to 85 international destinations in FY’22.
“BLR Airport has the advantage of dedicated cold zones enabling processing of perishable goods for export, which is the highest in India”, stated Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL). “The infrastructure that we provide ensures cold-chain integrity and seamless movement of perishables, without any change in the optimum storage temperature. “Our recent partnerships with multiple cargo partners for infrastructure and technology will only make the Airport’s cargo capacity stronger and even better.”
The support extended by various statutory bodies from both the Government of India (GoI) and the Government of Karnataka (GoK), including Indian Customs, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Plant Quarantine Office Bangalore, and Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing and Export Corporation Limited (KAPPEC) has enabled BLR Airport to maintain quality standards across operations at its cargo facility.
APEDA has been instrumental in supporting perishable exporters in Karnataka and understanding their needs to further drive exports.
“BLR Airport has made a significant achievement by becoming the No 1. Airport to process perishable shipments, twice in a row,” said Dr. M. Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA. “It is particularly special considering this year is being celebrated as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. APEDA has always focused on promoting farmer producer organisations and boosting agricultural exports from the country. “We have been collaborating with airports, exporters, and other key stakeholders in the cargo business to help upgrade the required infrastructure. “BLR Airport is at the forefront with its world-class facilities, and it continues to innovate, hence it is one of the preferred cargo airports in the country for agricultural exporters.”
