Turkish Cargo’s new Hyderabad freighter services

FROM September, Turkish Cargo is to begin a twice-weekly A330-200 dedicated freighter service to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad, India, writes Thelma Etim, deputy editor.
The new route will connect the city and its catchment area to 260 destinations in Europe, the Americas, Africa, as well as the CIS countries through the carrier’s hub in Istanbul.
With Hyderabad strategically located for India and the south Asia region, and having evolved into a surging economic centre housing India’s first airport-based Free Trade Zone plus a growing Aerotropolis, the dedicated widebody cargo aircraft’s connectivity is a significant milestone, says a company statement.
SGK Kishore, chief executive of GMR Hyderabad International Airport, which runs RGIA, comments: “The launch of freighter operations by Turkish Cargo comes as a significant achievement for RGIA, which has already seen an increase in freighter operations in the recent times. This new connection marks the growing importance of Hyderabad in general and puts RGIA on the global cargo map.”
The facility, which has a cargo terminal with a capacity of 150,000 tonnes annually, houses India’s first dedicated pharma zone, boasting a  temperature-controlled truck-dock-to-airside environment.
While air cargo volumes in India have grown at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9 per cent since 2006, RGIA has recorded a CAGR of more than 10 per cent, “a stellar achievement made possible by strategic planning and systematic implementation,” adds the statement. 

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