CCBA Urges Authorities to Resolve Bottlenecks at Chennai Air Cargo Complex

Chennai:

Port Wings News Network:

The Chennai Customs Brokers Association (CCBA) on 17 September 2026 appealed to the authorities to resolve the issues affecting air cargo trade.

It may be noted that stakeholders in the air cargo trade are grappling with significant delays in the movement of vehicles and clearance of import and export consignments at the Chennai Air Cargo Complex, as cargo volumes continue to rise without a matching expansion in facilities and operational capacity.

In a statement, Divakaran P. Nair, Vice President of CCBA, said, “With the steady increase in the volume of air cargo, the existing facilities and operational arrangements have not increased proportionately. As a result, Customs Brokers, importers, exporters, transporters and other stakeholders are experiencing considerable delays in the clearance and delivery of cargo.”

TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS AFFECTING CARGO VEHICLES

Divakaran stated: “A major pain point is traffic restrictions that affecting cargo-laden vehicles bound for the Air Cargo complex. During peak hours, vehicles are subjected to restrictions and congestion, resulting in delays in bringing vehicles for cargo delivery, examination and other clearance-related activities. This is particularly affecting time-sensitive air cargo, where even a short delay can have a significant operational and financial impact.” Higher dwell times and logistics costs are prompting some shippers to divert cargo to other locations.

Trade bodies have highlighted several operational hurdles like — restrictions and congestion in vehicle movement; inadequate parking and holding areas; longer waiting times for entry and exit; delays in examination, assessment and Customs clearance; congestion in handling and delivery zones; insufficient infrastructure and manpower relative to current volumes; delays in moving cleared cargo that add storage and transport costs; difficulties with perishable and urgent consignments; and weak coordination among stakeholders.

ADVANCED CARTING ORDER AT THE AIR INDIA SHED

Recent introduction of an advanced carting order at the Air India shed has compounded the problem. “Advanced carting order at Air India shed added further challenges with more vehicles and cargo moved to the shed with complete mess of traffic and inadequate facility at the shed to cater the cargo handling for more than two days,” Divakaran observed.

While acknowledging the need for traffic management and security, the association has urged that restrictions be calibrated so they do not impede timely clearance.

SUGGESTED STEPS TO SOLVE THE ISSUE

Divakaran stated: “Suggested steps include a dedicated and regulated traffic movement plan for cargo vehicles during peak hours, adequate holding and parking facilities near the complex, review of existing restrictions in consultation with Customs, airport authorities, terminal operators, transporters and the trade, priority movement for time-sensitive and perishable cargo, upgraded examination and delivery infrastructure, sufficient manpower at critical points, monitoring of turnaround times to identify bottlenecks, flexible parking charges, and freer vehicle movement.”

The association has called for intervention by Customs, AAICLAS and senior traffic police officials to augment infrastructure and operations in line with present and projected volumes.

“Timely clearance and delivery of air cargo is essential for maintaining the efficiency of the logistics chain and avoiding unnecessary additional costs to importers and exporters,” Divakar emphasized.

Best possible solution

The most effective path forward is a time-bound, multi-agency action plan driven by a joint stakeholder committee comprising Customs, AAICLAS, airport authorities, traffic police, terminal operators and trade representatives.

IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES

Immediate priorities should include a dedicated cargo-vehicle corridor with peak-hour protocols and priority lanes for perishables, temporary and permanent expansion of parking and holding areas, flexible parking charges, enhanced manpower and examination capacity at peak periods, and real-time monitoring of turnaround times. Parallel medium-term investments in physical infrastructure aligned with the recorded volume growth would prevent further diversion of cargo and restore competitiveness to Chennai’s air cargo hub, he added.