SriLankan Cargo turns BIA into regional hub

SriLankan Cargo has taken a firm step towards positioning Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) as a regional hub for air freight, by handling the highest ever volumes of both total cargo and transhipment cargo in a single month.

Janaka Munasinghe, Senior Manager Worldwide Cargo Operations at SriLankan, said: “The BIA Cargo Centre is on course for a record breaking year, if volumes continue as we expect them to.

Our projections are that we will handle over 180,000, metric tonnes in 2012, which would surpass the existing record.”

The National Carrier is closely supporting the vision of the government to transform Sri Lanka into a hub for both shipping and air freight.

Remarkably, the SriLankan Cargo Centre has in almost every month this year surpassed the previous records for those months.

Total tonnage handled in the first seven months of 2012 recorded a 12.5 % increase, while total transshipment cargo registered an 11 % increase. July 2012 witnessed a single-month record of 16,136 metric tonnes, surpassing the 16,033 tonnes set in March 2006.

The total transhipment of 3,387 metric tonnes in July 2012 was also a single-month record.

Total transhipment cargo over the first seven months of this year was the highest ever as well at 19,909 tonnes.

SriLankan Cargo is the sole handling agent for cargo of all airlines that operate through BIA. SriLankan Cargo operates on the model of a ‘hub in the Ocean,’utilising the island's geographic positioning to link Europe and the Middle East in the West, Southeast Asia and the Far East in the East,and the Subcontinent.

The Airline's own route network now spans 59 cities in 33 countries.

The National Carrier's cargo arm is also preparing for its role at Hambantota International Airport, the country's second airport which is due to commence operations in early 2013.