India’s state-run Airports Authority of India (AIA) announced that it will build cargo terminals at 24 airports, subject to feasibility studies.

In its latest cargo briefing report, the AIA says the facilities will be developed over the next couple of years. Airports in Amritsar; Lucknow; Jaipur; Varanasi; Ahmedabad; Surat; Aurangabad; Chennai; Coimbatore; Mangalore; Trichy; Trivandrum; Calicut; Madurai; Vizag; Kolkata; Bhubneshwar; Ranchi; Gaya; Raipur; Guwahati; Srinagar; Pune; and Goa, have been initially identified by the AIA for the establishment of terminals.

The authority says it has already completed construction of terminals at Jaipur Airport, Lucknow Airport and Coimbatore Airport. The AIA says tender processes have been finalised for terminals at Mangalore, Madurai and Vizag airports. Meanwhile, the tender process is ongoing at Chennai, Kolkata, Raipur and Ahmedabad airports.

The AIA says in the report: “With the opening-up of the Indian economy, there has been tremendous growth of air cargo at metro/non-metro airports with considerable scope for improvement in the basic infrastructure to tap the potential. The potential growth in air cargo movement across the country can be tapped if basic/nominal cargo facilities are created at second tier cities in India.”

AIA adds that the terminals are part of its strategy to meet the expected future demand through building capacity, as projections indicate Indian carriers will double their total fleet size by 2020 to about 1,000 aircraft.