The Times of India reported that India's Airport Authority (AAI) is set to open its state-of-the-art modular cargo terminal in the coming weeks.
The terminal is a steel-based structure with a ground base of a 1,000 sq./m, with the same space on the building's first floor. The terminal has a cold storage facility for perishable goods as well as strong room, a facility that is of utmost importance to Surat's huge diamond cutting and polishing industry and trade.
Currently, cargo is transported by a choice of carriers to destinations such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Calcutta, Chennai, Jaipur and Hyderabad. Spice Jet and air India are currently the major cargo carriers, with Spice Jet the only company offering high value item shipping. The cargo carrier reportedly carried $6.5 billion of polished diamonds from Surat to Mumbai in 2018. The new terminal is expected to boost the competitiveness in high value shipping services.