Bengaluru, Sep 22 (IANS): Nine global freight carriers shipped 181 tonnes of Pomegranates to 12 overseas destinations from Kemegowda internatational airport (KIA) on the city's northern outskirts from April to August, an official said on Tuesday.

"By shipping 181 tonnes (180,745 kg) of Pomegranates from April to August to 12 overseas destinations in nine cargo flights, KIA emerged as the leading airport for the fruit from India," said the operator in a statement here.

KIA is the third busiest airport in the country after New Delhi and Mumbai.

Categorised as a berry, Pomegranate is a rich nutritious red fruit grown on trees as a deciduous shrub with a flower-shaped stem.

According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) of the Union Commerce Ministry, the city airport accounted for 99 per cent of the fruit's export from Karnataka.

"The fruit was exported to 12 countries by nine freight carriers - Air France, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines," said the statement.

Cargo terminal operators Air India Sats and Menzies Aviation Bobba handled the logistics for shipping the fruit to its overseas destination in good condition.

"To retain their freshness, Pomegranates were stored, cleared and moved to the aircraft under controlled temperature, reducing dwell time at the terminals," said the operator.

Air India Sats has a dedicated cold zone at the airport, with a capacity to store 40,000 tonnes of cargo per annum under minus 25 to plus 25 degrees Centigrade while Menzies has a capacity to handle 20,000 tonnes of freight per year.