Forwarders hope airport cargo congestion to ease off soon
With no explosive scanner in operations for months, exporters had to move their planeloads to India’s Kolkata for explosive scanning
Air freight forwarders said export cargo congestion at Dhaka airport prompted by non-functional explosive scanners is likely to ease off next month.
"As much as 80% of the scanning related issues will go by 15 November," said Nasir Ahmed Khan, director of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association.
Piled-up export items crippled the cargo handling capacity of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in September as the all four explosive detection scanners (EDS) at the airport were non-functional.
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On 11 October, one scanner returned to cargo operations after being repaired. In the third week of October, a European team conducted the test-run of two scanners as the report is to come up in the first week of November.
"We hope the report will be positive and subsequently the two scanners will join the operation," said Nasir Ahmed Khan. He said the fourth scanner hopefully will start the operation in November too.
With the Covid situation normalising and reopening of the international economy, Dhaka airport had been facing scanning troubles for a couple of months until October. Many exporters during the time had to move their planeloads to India's Kolkata for the explosive scanning before finally sending them to the foreign markets.
In the face of the cargo backlog at the airport, Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman paid a surprise visit to Dhaka airport and blasted the officials concerned.
His instruction sped up the repairing of the damaged scanner and measures to put the new scanners into operations with the European certification.
After the Covid-led air connectivity suspension, the UK has recently resumed direct flights to Bangladesh while others are to follow the lead.
Apart from the prompt repair of the cargo scanner at Dhaka airport, Nasir Ahmed Khan said the backlog started abating automatically as most of the apparel consignments meant for the winter season have already been sent to foreign markets.
He said Dhaka airport sends 600-800 tonnes of air cargo to different countries per day. Europe-bound per kg freight now costs $6-6.50 while the charge is at $12-14 for items to the US market.
