Trade bats for air cargo facility to United States, welcome flight to Chicago

The once a week direct flight from Hyderabad to Chicago from January 15 and connecting it to Vizag and Vijayawada from January 15 has led to the demand by members of the trade and commerce in Andhra Pradesh for facilitating air cargo transport.

AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (APCCIF) zonal chairman Sudhir Mulagada told Bizz Buzz on Saturday that there was huge potential for transportation of high-value cargo like costume jewellery.

He said Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone (VSEZ) located at Duvvada in Visakhapatnam was home to a couple of diamond polishing units. "There is big potential to make fashion jewellery and export them directly to the United States-where there is tremendous demand for costume jewellery and customised fashion-making ornaments made with diamonds," he said.

The federation, he said, also had a proposal to conduct a study in collaboration with a premier business school to identify the cargoes which could be ferried to the United States, Europe and other overseas markets by flights.

Air India flight which takes off to Chicago from Shamshabad International Airport in Hyderabad on Fridays at 12.50 pm. Connecting flights have already been introduced from Vijayawada.and Visakhapatnam to catch the Chicago flight. An official of Air India Area said the flight to Chicago would save a lot of time on travel for Chicago-bound passengers from AP and parts of Chattisgarh.

Visakhapatnam International Airport has an air cargo complex. After COVID-19 pandemic, flights to Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Singapore stand suspended..

The official said the flight to Chicago 777 LR has four first class, 35 business class and 195 economy category seats.

Travel and Tours Association of Andhra (TTAA) president K. Vijay Mohan said once the pandemic situation eases, domestic and international tourism would pick up slowly and there is a need to plan introduction of more flights from Visakhapatnam.

Brandix India Apparel City (BIAC) India partner Doraswamy said better connectivity would always help promote trade and attract more investors to give a big push to port-led development in Andhra Pradesh.