India's first private air freight station coming this August

Indev Air Freight Station has announced the launch of its operations in Chennai on Friday. The 20,000 sqft facility near Iringattukottai will be an extension of the airport. This would allow for hassle-free imports.

The facility is commencing its operation from August 1. The three year delay in the launch was due to lack of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) connectivity.

"The unit loads or ULDs will be moved directly from aircraft to bonded trucks and those will be moved to the facility where all similar operations to what is available at airport will be provided. The customs officers will be present there round the clock to do the entire formalities, including the online filing, assessment, inspection and delivery," Xavier Britto, Chairman, Indev AFS said.

The lack of infrastructure at the Chennai airport has resulted in congestion and increased costs despite its 5 million ton cargo limit.

"Madras airport lost out a lot of cargo because of congestion and inefficient ways of handling. Some of the clients have gone to Hyderabad, most of them have gone to Bangalore", Britto said.

"Our Web Management System or WMS allows you to sit at your office and track how your cargo is being handled. Through the web you can monitor your cargo movement, de-stuffing, handling and delivery", he adds.

(Image credit: Indiatimes)