Mangaluru Airport commences international cargo operations
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): Mangaluru International Airport has commenced international cargo operations from its integrated cargo terminal with flight IX 815 ferrying 2,522 kgs of fruits and vegetables to Abu Dhabi, officials said on Saturday.
The formal launch was done on Friday, in the presence of the AAHL Cargo team, the leadership team of the Mangaluru International Airport as well as representatives from Customs, Airlines - IndiGo and Air India Express - and Airport Security Group of CISF, they said.
This much anticipated development comes a little over a year after the airport started domestic cargo operations on May 1, 2023, officials said.
According to officials, the Commissioner of Customs on May 10 this year had appointed the airport as Custodian as well as a Customs Cargo Service Provider, green signaling the start of international cargo operations.
Working with regulatory authorities and airline partners, the airport, in the interim, vigorously pursued its status as Customs Cargo Service.
The start of international cargo operations will enable exporters from coastal Karnataka and Kerala and the hinterland to export perishables such as fresh fruits and vegetables, food, machine parts, textiles, shoes, tropical fish, frozen and dry fish, plastic coloring material and ship parts (propeller) in the form of belly cargo.
IndiGo and Air India Express with their connectivity will enable exporters to send cargo to Dubai, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain.
On the domestic cargo front, the airport has done well in handling 3706.02 tonne of cargo in the first 11 months of its operation from May 1, 2023, during the financial year 2024-25.
The total domestic cargo handled included 279.21 tonne of inbound and 3426.8 tonne of outbound cargo. Interestingly, 95 per cent of the outbound domestic cargo was post-office mail, consisting of bank and UIDAI related documents such as credit/debit and Aadhaar cards, officials said.
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Cricketer-actor Salil Ankola's mother found dead; injuries may be self-inflicted, say cops
Pune, Oct 4: Former cricketer Salil Ankola's mother was found dead in her Pune flat on Friday with her throat slit, a police official said, adding the injuries prima facie look "self inflicted".
The body of Mala Ashok Ankola (77) was found in her flat on Prabhat Road in Deccan Gymkhana area in the afternoon, the official said.
"The incident came to light after her maid came to the flat and then alerted relatives after no one answered the door," he said.
"When the door was opened, the woman was found dead with her throat slit. Prima facie, it looks like the injuries are self-inflicted. However, we are probing the case from all angles," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Sandip Singh Gill.
She was suffering from some mental ailment, Gill added.
Salil Ankola played one Test and 20 ODIs between 1989 and 1997. The fast-medium bowler later acted in films and TV serials.
