CARGOCONNECT-OCTOBER2024 - Flipbook - Page 11
The multimodal cargo hub
(MMCH) at NIAL, developed by
Air India SATS (AISATS), involves
an investment of `1,200 crore
in the initial phase. Spanning
approximately 87 acres, this
facility will feature an Integrated Cargo Terminal (ICT)
being developed on a land parcel
of 30 acres and an Integrated
Warehousing and Logistics Zone
(IWLZ) across a 57 acre development. The MMCH will support
various modes of transportation,
including road-to-road, road-toair, and air-to-road movements.
The hub will handle a wide range
of shipments, including domestic, international, perishables,
valuables, and hazardous goods.
Dedicated cargo infrastructure
will cater to international express
cargo and transhipment services.
Phase 1 of the ICT with domestic,
international and express courier terminals with a combined
annual throughput capacity of
over 250,000 thousand tonnes
in under construction.
Subsequently, the capacity
will be enhanced to approximately two million tonnes spread
across domestic, international
and express courier terminals
along with a dedicated cool port
facility for pharmaceuticals, per-
ishables and other time- and
temp-sensitive cargo. Apart
from the development of main
cargo terminal buildings, other
associated facilities such as a
trucking centre for parking of
trucks with amenities for truckers are also under development.
The MMCH as a whole is currently undergoing the design
stage and is expected to have
facilities such as Bulk Unitisation
Programme (BUP) facility for
build-up, break-down of pallets/
containers, consolidation centre,
customs bonded warehouses, and
a logistics park for e-commerce
businesses and third-party logistics (3PL) entities.
To streamline operations,
the multimodal cargo hub will
integrate digital solutions for
documentation and real-time
tracking of shipments and connectivity with stakeholders to
provide real-time visibility and
information, alongside the implementation of E-Freight system,
an international standard for
paperless clearance as well as
dedicated access road for truck
movement. All of this will lead to
improved minimum connection
time and reduced turnaround
time for both aircraft and trucks
and better coordination between
shippers, forwarders and carriers.
Additionally, the hub will employ
smart technologies, such as IoT,
AI, and ML, to enhance e昀케ciency.
Features like lidar-based cargo
measurement and non-intrusive
vision-based tracking will be utilised to optimise cargo handling.
Air India SATS will also
implement its Pharma Tag system for end-to-end temperature
tracking of pharmaceutical goods
and introduce SATS Tracer, a
web-based platform for real-time
tracking of special shipments.
The cargo hub will also include
e-commerce facilities and an
integrated warehouse logistics
zone to support growing demand.
Sustainability is a core focus
of the airport’s design. The terminal will incorporate passive
measures such as natural lighting
and ventilation to reduce the
CO2 footprint and energy costs.
The installation of photovoltaic
(PV) systems for solar energy
production is planned to further
enhance the airport’s sustainability credentials.
In addition to its cargo
operations, the airport will
feature 40 acres dedicated to
maintenance, repair, and overhaul
(MRO) operations. This facility
aims to address the current reliance on foreign MRO services,
which accounts for an annual
expenditure of approximately
`15,000 crore.
Business development activities are already underway, with
multiple roadshows and planned
meetings with international and
domestic cargo agents. Facility
tours and stakeholder engagement activities are scheduled
from September 2024 to March
2025, culminating in key events
such as operational readiness and
airport transfer sessions.
Development work on the
cargo terminal and multimodal
cargo hub is progressing swiftly,
with the project expected to
handle over one lakh tonnes of
cargo upon completion. Validation
昀氀ights for approach and departure procedures are anticipated
to begin in October.
Key features
of NIAL
* First-of-its-kind in
India: NIAL will be the
昀椀rst airport in India to be
designed for multi-cargo
operations and to achieve
net-zero emissions.
* Six Runways: The airport
will boast six runways,
signi昀椀cantly surpassing
Delhi Airport’s three.
* Aircraft Parking: The
airport will have the capability to accommodate up
to 178 aircraft simultaneously.
* Investment and Cost: The
construction is projected
to cost approximately
`10,000 crore, with an
additional `35,000 crore
expected in further investments.
* Passenger Capacity:
Initially, the airport is projected to handle around 12
million passengers annually, with an expansion
plan to accommodate up to
70 million passengers by
2040-50.
* Cargo Capacity: The
airport will launch with
a dedicated cargo facility,
which will cover 150,000
sq mt, with plans for
further expansion to
support growing freight
operations.
* Stands: There will be 186
aircraft stands made available at the airport.
* Technology and Automation: The airport will
integrate state-of-the-art
technologies and automation systems across
terminal operations, cargo
handling, and aircraft
servicing areas.
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