Cargo shipment seen slow at Tiruchy Intl Airport

The volume of cargo handled at Tiruchy International Airport is yet to pick up, according to reports. While passenger traffic at the airport, which stood at 12.5 lakh (domestic traffic included) during 2015-16, recorded a 41% increase to touch 17.63 lakh in 2023-24, cargo shipment failed to register any such significant growth. The volume of cargo handled during 2023-24, which was 6,612 tonnes, hasn’t been far off from the 6,583 tonnes handled during 2015. The maximum figure the airport recorded was during 2019-20, before the advent of the pandemic, when about 8,000 tonnes of cargo was handled. With about 90 flights now being operated to overseas destinations like Singapore and Gulf countries every week and passenger occupancy in almost every flight touching 95%, operators prioritise only passengers and their luggage, and not transporting cargo, say some local cargo stakeholders, as per the reports.