The opening of the Indev Airfreight Station in Chennai, the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, marks the first private airfreight station in India. Operations are scheduled to begin Aug. 1 in the 20,000-square-foot facility near Iringattukottai.
The building was put on hold for nearly three years due to lack of capability to handle electronic data interchange. The Economic Times of India said the Chennai Airport can handle 5 million tonnes of cargo per year, but the lack of modern infrastructure at the airport caused congestion and increased costs. The Airfreight Station is designed to help solve those problems with advanced technology.
The facility has been licensed to consolidate cargo to the cities of Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi and Coimbatore. Lufthansa and Singapore airlines are looking at move their ULDs into the new facility. Customs officials have endorsed the station and have said it’s ready to go.