G. Gopalakrishnan, Airport Director, cuts a cake to mark the commencement of cargo movement through the passenger terminal of Tiruchi International Airport on Tuesday.
Domestic cargo movement through Tiruchi International Airport began on Tuesday.The first shipment, weighing 1,192 kg, was despatched by Indigo flight 6E 2171 to Hyderabad early in the morning. A total of 2.46 metric tonnes of domestic cargo was booked for shipment through the terminal.“This is an encouraging start, and reflects the latent demand among traders. We expect the volume to grow steadily,” said G. Gopalakrishnan, Airport Director.Although international cargo operations have been going on for several years now, with passenger aircraft carrying cargo to various destinations from here, domestic operations is being allowed only now.The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had recently given the final security clearance, enabling domestic cargo handling at the passenger terminal ahead of the establishment of a dedicated cargo terminal at the new airport.While perishables form the bulk of the cargo exported from the city, airport officials expect textiles and machinery to be the main products to be moved in the domestic sector.Echoing similar sentiments, N. Kanagasabapathy, president, Micro Medium and Small Enterprises Association, Tiruchi, welcomed the commencement of domestic cargo operations from the airport. “Though we may not be able to move heavy engineering products, smaller machines/components and samples can be moved by air to various domestic destinations,” he said.AAI and AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company will work with all stakeholders to scale up the cargo operations, Mr. Gopalakrishnan said. Published - August 25, 2026 05:17 pm IST
