‘India will soon be air cargo hub’
Prabhu says air cargo business will benefit farmers as perishable products could be delivered same day
KANPUR: Civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu on Tuesday said the government was committed to turn the country into an air cargo hub. The move will immensely benefit the farmers in the near future, Prabhu claimed.
“The air cargo business has immense socio-economic significance. The perishable products, which take days to reach, would be delivered the same day. The farmers in particular would gain as they would get a better price for their produce,” he said at the re-launch of Kanpur-Delhi daily flight.
Prabhu, who came down from Delhi on the inaugural flight, was received by chief minister Yogi Adityanath here.
He said the Indian airspace remains largely empty at night and the slot would be utilised to give air cargo business a boost.He said the Airport Authority of India (AAI) would organise agri-exhibition at all airports in Uttar Pradesh.
“All the agricultural products would be displayed at these exhibitions,” he said. Insisting that the passenger growth in the aviation sector has grown steadily, Prabhu claimed 20% growth was recorded In June alone.
“If the current growth rate is sustained, India will soon be world number two,” he claimed while announcing that the flight between Gorakhpur and Nepal would be launched soon.
Adityanath said the air connectivity from Kanpur was a must for its development.
“The city would be connected to Mumbai and other important cities in the next phase,” he said while promising to provide land for civil terminal near Hindon air base. The budget for terminals in Kushi Nagar, Agra, Shravasti, Aligarh has also been released, the CM claimed.
“The metro projects would
› The air cargo business has immense socioeconomic significance. The perishable products, which take days to reach, would be delivered the same day. The farmers in particular would gain as they would get a better price for their produce
SURESH PRABHU, Civil aviation minister
soon take off in Kanpur, Meerut and Agra,” he said.
He claimed that the government was implementing the defence policy in the state with Kanpur being the central point in the corridor.
“It would also ensure fundamental development of Aligarh, Jhansi, Banda, Chitrakoot, Agra and Kanpur,” the CM said.