Union minister Suresh Prabhu says air cargo policy to be announced very soon

The new integrated logistics and air cargo policy will be announced very soon and will address concerns of all stakeholders, union minister for civil aviation Suresh Prabhu said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the 4th PHD Air Cargo Summit,  Prabhu said the solutions to critical issues relating to agriculture and manufacturing output and their supplies including exports would be sufficiently addressed and the tariff structure will be affordable in the proposed integrated policy.

Prabhu also asked the industry body to expeditiously submit workable ideas and suggestions for the policy.

"A specific department of logistics has been created in the department of commerce, which is finalising the nitty-gritty of logistics dimensions as also cargo movement with necessary consultation process," Prabhu added.

Minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha further stated as soon as the policy is finalised, the prevailing gaps and regulations including bureaucratic hitches in present cargo movement would come to an end.

As per a written reply to the parliament by the union aviation ministry, air cargo handled at airports in India was 2.978 million metric tonne in 2016-17, and has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 9 percent during the last 25 years.

While there are no dedicated cargo airports in the country, 27 airports have domestic cargo terminals and 24 have international ones, as per government data from an answer to a Lok Sabha question last year.