GMR-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Thursday facilitated the export of season’s first consignment of mangoes from Lucknow to Dubai.
The consignment which consisted of four metric tonnes (MT) of mangoes, procured from orchards in Lucknow, was transported to the capital city of UAE on an Air India Express flight, under the support and collaboration of Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Agriculture & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), customs, and Uttar Pradesh government.
DIAL is fast emerging as a preferred airport for the export of fresh vegetables and fruits facilitating the government’s ambitious ‘KRISHI UDAN’ initiative that aims to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products on domestic and international markets and double their income.
Last week, the airport handled a consignment of fresh mangoes, which was exported to Dubai from Varanasi via Lucknow.
Earlier on April 23, DIAL handled the first consignment of three metric tonnes of fresh vegetable, which was exported to London from Varanasi. The consignment which included green chillies, cucumber and bottle gourd, arrived at the airport by road from Varanasi. It was then sent to London on a British Airways flight after expeditious processing.
Apart from having state-of-the-art infrastructure including one of the largest on-airport temperature controlled facility with the capacity to process over 1.5 lakh MT perishable products in the temperature range of -20°C to +25°C, DIAL also has the largest connectivity to around 149 destinations across the globe, which equally complements and makes the facility as a most favoured one for the centre’s ‘Krishi Udan’ initiative.
During the suspension of commercial flight operations amid the ongoing lockdown, DIAL is handling around 20-22 cargo flights per day (including non-scheduled operations), with freighters operating between various destinations like Doha, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Incheon, etc.
Additionally, MoCA had designated Delhi Airport as a major hub for import and distribution of COVID-19 related medical essentials.
The airport has created an on-airport facility to speed up distribution of medical supplies to various parts of the country.
