The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru has maintained its position as India’s leading airport for exporting perishable cargo, for the third consecutive year.
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates KIA, said the airport also witnessed growth in the export of perishable cargo, handling a record tonnage of 53,751 metric tonnes (MT) in the financial year 2022-2023 (FY23), clocking a 3 per cent increase on FY22.
In perishable goods exports, the Bengaluru airport handled 27 per cent of the total cargo volumes across India and 41% within the airports in southern India. It led to the export of poultry and flowers in India with a 9% increase from the previous year and a notable export of 39,865 MT and 1,877 MT, respectively. Fresh vegetables and fruits were also among the top commodities exported by BLR Cargo. During the same period, fresh mangoes witnessed a 10 per cent surge in export volume, BIAL said.
During the year, perishable cargo from KIA was connected to more than 60 international destinations, with Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Maldives, UAE, Kuwait, and the UK emerging as the top destinations. The export of perishable goods to the US tripled compared to FY22.
BLR Cargo operates to 25 international destinations and 75 destinations in India, with a total of 13 cargo freighters.