from daijiworld's special correspondent in Goa

Varca (Goa), Sep 4: The airlines companies are looking at greenfield airports like Mangalore and Hyderabad with much optimism to promote growth in the aviation cargo.

"Aviation cargo has huge potential which needs to be tapped. Airport infrastructure will work in the right direction," stated Vasudevan Thulasidas, chairman and managing director, Air India, said.

Air India's cargo share is totaled to 10 per cent and is expecting to further it in the months to come. "Aviation sector has enough space and we need to fill it with cargo," Thulasidas said.

Thulasidas, who was down in Goa to address national conference on "logistic" organized by Goa Institute of Management (GIM), said that while growth in airlines passengers is pegged at 20 per cent, it is not reflected in the cargo business.

"Airport infrastructure is being upgraded and greenfield airports like Mangalore and Hyderabad will add to the infrastructure," he said.

The airlines experts feel that aviation cargo industry is growing at 8 per cent per annum rate and it will continue growing at this pace till 2010.

And while big business houses talk about getting into a business of retailing, the aviation industry feels that they will have to share a major role in this endeavor. "Faster movements of goods, especially perishable ones, is what retailing needs," Thulasidas stated.