BIAL woos Tiruppur exporters to use the Kempegowda airport

During the meeting, the exporters raised various issues faced by them at the airport
| Photo Credit:
R. SATISH BABU

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which owns and operates the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, is trying to woo garment exporters in Tiruppur to send their cargo through the airport daily. BIAL is exploring to set up a cargo collection center in Tiruppur to facilitate seamless cargo movement to the airport through a non-bonded trucking system. At present, the volume is very low from the textile town through the airport. Data is unavailable on the volume.

The proposed center will support daily scheduled truck operations from Tiruppur, enhancing logistical efficiency and minimizing transit delays, says a social media post by TEA General Secretary Thirukumaran Natarajan.

BIAL sources said it is only exploring what are trade requirements and how it can facilitate them.

During the meeting, the exporters raised various issues faced by them at the airport. For instance, they expressed difficulty in knowing whether their cargo is routed through Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. On this, BIAL officials clarified that this information is available on their online tracking portal, which exporters can access for real-time updates, the post said.

On cargo stickering and labeling, the exporters sought clarity on where the final cargo stickering will be done either at the warehouse, collection center or by exporters themselves. The BIAL officials assured that this will be reviewed internally and communicated shortly.

Exporters requested BIAL to coordinate a Permanent Trade Facilitation Committee meeting with Bangalore Customs to resolve exporter-related operational issues.

There is an Inland Container Depot in Tirupur to complete customs formalities. Post clearance the move on a bonded truck to be despatched to any port or airport, said sources.

An official with a freight forward company in Chennai said most of the exporters in Tiruppur use the sea transport to send their cargo abroad. Only if there is an urgency, the air movement is done. Today, Bengaluru gives better options with competitive air freight and international connectivity for them.

Bonded trucking is maturing over India providing multiple options to the curated route to route their Inbound and outbound cargoes. The concept of dry ports was created to move the regulator (Customs) to the doorstep (close proximity) of the trade.

Establishing the final mile connectivity either by road or rail was also approved. While full container load prefer rail , the air cargo is primarily moved through bonded trucking. Airports to expand their reach have leveraged this position to expand their clients, the official said.

Published on October 19, 2025