The government will allow a new air cargo agency to enter into competition with Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the first time, ending the monopoly of AAI.
The new agency, which will be a joint venture, will have AAI as a minority stakeholder.
This decision was taken at the 16th Export Promotion Board meeting on Friday under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary Prabhat Kumar. The new agency will execute handling and warehousing operations.
AAI has decided to implement soon a customers services charter.
This implies that it will waive charges in case consignments are delayed beyond the prescribed period.
The government has also decided that airlines will have to submit their import general manifest on arrival of the flight and within 12 hours of the flight.
It was also decided that export cargo, excepting those consignments identified for inspection, will be taken to the bonded area straight from the unloading ramps.
Thus one intermediate handling will be avoided. This system came into effect from Monday.
Hours for cargo handling have also been increased at the Delhi terminal.
Export cargo will be received in Delhi till 9 pm and import cargo till 8 pm.
It was also decided that computerisation of operations and bar coding will be expedited to help in cargo implementation.
Kumar said pending the improvement in systems, the free period for import cargo would be increased to five days, including the arrival date of the flight.
After five days demurrage charges will be levied for two days at normal daily rates only. After the seventh day the demurrage will be leviable for the entire period, including the free period.
This new system is expected to come into operation within a week.
