Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), Bhubaneswar, now connected to Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok by direct flights, is set to restart handling international cargo from September to boost exports from the state.

The airport is upgrading its facilities to facilitate the hassle-free export of goods to other parts of the world. The international cargo terminal will operate from its former location near the domestic air cargo terminal. The Municipal Office of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is the custodian of the international air cargo terminal.

International cargo operations, started in 2017, were halted after the Covid-19 pandemic hit and direct flight operations between Bhubaneswar and Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok came to a halt in 2019. “The cargo terminal is now preparing for the resumption of operations,” the sources said. 

Although Odisha mainly focuses on mineral and metal products, the export of marine and agricultural products, handicrafts, looms, chemicals and related sectors in addition to IT and ITES has shown immense growth potential over the past decade.

As the export turnover more than doubled between 2017 and 2022 despite the downturn in the past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the state government launched its new export policy and has set a target of earning INR 3.5 lakh crore by 2026-27 and bringing Odisha into the league of the country’s top five exporting states. For starters, it has already started exploring agricultural, fish and seafood export opportunities to Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok.