Airports Authority of India (AAI) at North Eastern Region is focussing on promoting local products and the farm products to the outside world apart from building and maintaining aviation Infrastructure in the region. Bolstering the move, a cargo aircraft operated by Spicejet from Kolkata recently landed at Lengpui airport of Aizawl in Mizoram with 5,800 kg freight. The flight, on its return journey, carried different types of local products such as orange, lemon, banana, ginger, pineapple and cut flowers to Kolkata.
The weekly cargo service will now be available from Legpui, Aizwal to Kolkata and other cities of North East India depending on the potentiality of air cargo in the area.
AAI’s Regional Executive Director (North East) Sanjeev Jindal said that it was one of his wishes that has come true after the dedicated domestic freighter started its services in the northeastern region.
“Under the Krishi-Udan Scheme, the services have been started in the region and it is aimed to benefit the local farmers and villagers whose products have higher value outside the region. AAI’s aim is that they (farmers) should be paid as per the demand services,” said Jindal.
The services of SpiceJet’s dedicated freighters are presently available at Lengpui Airport and Guwahati Airport connecting through Kolkata. In January 2019, SpiceJet had twice operated international freighters from Guwahati to Hong Kong carrying fruit and vegetables produced and procured from various districts of Assam.
Customs, EDI and plant quarantine services are available at Guwahati airport. This opened up a new horizon when fruits and veggies, sourced from local areas and adjacent districts of Assam were commercially supplied abroad.
AAI emphasised that the need is to connect Northeast India with fastest cargo services with affordable freight rates because of its rich green and organic farm products which have demand in the domestic and international market. Most of the perishable products are wasted due to lack of storage as well as connectivity within the fix time-frame, or shelf life of the products.
