There is a huge scope for both local and foreign companies to enhance their manufacturing setup and increase the production of goods in India that will further boost international exports and domestic consumption, avows Manoj Singh, Senior Vice President and Head of Cargo at Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL). In an exclusive chat with Ritika Arora Bhola, the veteran leader emphasises on how they enabled cargo movement to and from the airport, and the growing need for safety in operations.
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ue to the COVID-19 outbreak, a ban was imposed on national and international movement of cargo. Kindly share the challenges that MIAL faced during lockdown and how did you cope up with it? The COVID-19 outbreak created an unprecedented situation that impacted the entire globe. The travel and aviation industry felt the brunt almost immediately after the outbreak was announced in January 2020 as this serious threat impacted all the businesses and economies worldwide. As governments across the world swung into action and implemented measures to curb the spread of the virus as best as they could, India suspended all commercial passenger flight operations and imposed a strict lockdown. However, cargo operations remained active, and GVK Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) managed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) relentlessly carried out its cargo handling activities to cater to the greater need of mobilising and supplying essential commodities across India and the world. Despite the mandatory lockdown, MIAL continued to transport essential goods across continents and reportedly handled 3500 tonnes of COVID-19 related cargo with increased cargo handling capacity. Kindly elaborate on the types of cargo transported to and from MIAL
Having handled approximately 4464, 16500 and 27391 tonnes in the months of March, April and May respectively, CSMIA registered a month-on-month growth of 19 per cent and 66 per cent in April and May respectively. 16 |
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We foresee cargo volumes of FY19 level to restore by the end of FY22 and other initiatives taken to increase capacity in the last three months? CSMIA aggressively functioned to connect India and the global supply chain and successfully processed a total of 48,000 tonnes of cargo which included 28,000 tonnes of exports and over 20,000 tonnes of imports. The airport has also transported 3500 tonnes of medical supplies such as PPE, masks, gloves, and COVID-19 diagnostic kits, which have been airlifted by over 900 flights including scheduled freighters and non-scheduled charters. The essentials were distributed to the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chennai, Hyderabad as well as the remote areas of the country where these are scarce. Having handled approximately 4464, 16500 and 27391 tonnes in the
months of March, April and May respectively, CSMIA registered a month-onmonth growth of 19 per cent and 66 per cent in April and May respectively. This includes the transportation of a total of approximately 16000 tonnes of EXIM pharma, 4000 tonnes of agro exports and 400 tonnes of live animal export between March to May.
Kindly elaborate on the cargo flights scheduled from the airport and the incoming and outgoing traffic at the airport (domestic/ international). How was the demand and supply graph for cargo in the last few months. Overall, CSMIA has handled over 2700 cargo ATMs from March 25 to May 31. Furthermore, CSMIA has witnessed ap-
