Mangaluru International Airport has officially commenced international cargo operations from its integrated cargo terminal. The inaugural flight IX 815 transported 2,522 kg of fruits and vegetables to Abu Dhabi, marking a significant milestone. This new development will enable exporters from coastal Karnataka, Kerala, and the hinterland to export perishables such as fresh fruits and vegetables, food, machine parts, textiles, shoes, tropical fish, frozen and dry fish, plastic colouring material, and ship parts as belly cargo.
IndiGo and Air India Express, with their extensive connectivity, will facilitate the export of goods to destinations including Dubai, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain. The formal launch, attended by the AAHL Cargo team, Mangaluru International Airport leadership, Customs representatives, IndiGo and Air India Express, and the Airport Security Group of CISF, was celebrated on Friday.
Officials noted that this achievement comes just over a year after the airport began domestic cargo operations on May 1, 2023. The Commissioner of Customs appointed the airport as a Custodian and a Customs Cargo Service Provider on May 10, 2023, enabling the start of international cargo operations. During this period, the airport worked diligently with regulatory authorities and airline partners to secure its status as a Customs Cargo Service Provider.
On the domestic front, the airport has successfully handled 3,706.02 tonnes of cargo in its first 11 months of operation, from May 1, 2023, to the end of the financial year 2024-25. This included 279.21 tonnes of inbound and 3,426.8 tonnes of outbound cargo, with 95 percent of the outbound domestic cargo consisting of post-office mail, including bank and UIDAI-related documents such as credit/debit and Aadhaar cards.