<p data-path-to-node="3" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="3" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">BENGALURU</b> — In a major expansion of India's airborne cold-chain export capacity, Air India Cargo has officially operationalized a state-of-the-art, 12,000-square-meter automated perishable cargo handling center at Kempegowda International Airport (BLR). Designed to handle high-velocity agricultural, floricultural, and processed food exports from Southern India, the new terminal sets a fresh standard for zero-break cold chain logistics across primary international air trade lanes.</p><h4 data-path-to-node="4" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b>High-Precision Cold Chain Architecture</b></h4><p data-path-to-node="5" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;">The automated facility has been developed to handle sensitive, high-value agro-commodities under stringent international hygiene and temperature standards. Key infrastructure capabilities include:</p><ul data-path-to-node="6" style="padding-inline-start: 32px; font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="6,0,0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="6,0,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Multi-Zone Temperature Control:</b> Dedicated climate-controlled zones ranging from <span class="math-inline" data-math="-25^\circ\text{C}" data-index-in-node="80" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">$-25^\circ\text{C}$</span> for frozen foods to <span class="math-inline" data-math="+2^\circ\text{C}\text{ to }+8^\circ\text{C}" data-index-in-node="118" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">$+2^\circ\text{C}\text{ to }+8^\circ\text{C}$</span> for fresh floriculture, fruits, and pharmaceutical biologics.</p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="6,1,0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="6,1,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Rapid Vacuum Cooling Systems:</b> Capable of bringing farm-fresh produce down to transit holding temperatures in under 20 minutes, preserving shelf-life and moisture integrity prior to flight loading.</p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="6,2,0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="6,2,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Automated Guided Pallet Lifters (AGPLs):</b> Fully computerized, robotic pallet handlers that transport Unit Load Devices (ULDs) from staging areas directly to specialized pre-cooling chambers without human touch.</p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="6,3,0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="6,3,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">IoT-Enabled Continuous Telematics:</b> Real-time sensor monitoring tracking ambient humidity, temperature shifts, and ethylene levels across all internal handling sectors.</p></li></ul><h4 data-path-to-node="7" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b>Strengthening South India's Agro-Export Corridor</b></h4><p data-path-to-node="8" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;">Bengaluru has firmly established itself as India's premier gateway for perishable air cargo, handling significant volumes of fresh flowers, exotic fruits, and fresh produce from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala. The new terminal directly connects these regional agricultural belts to widebody passenger bellies and scheduled freighter networks operated by Air India and its global interline partners.</p><p data-path-to-node="9" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;">Target export markets benefiting immediately from expedited tarmac-transfer protocols include:</p><ul data-path-to-node="10" style="padding-inline-start: 32px; font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="10,0,0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">United Kingdom &amp; Europe:</b> Daily express movements of fresh roses, cut flowers, and seasonal fruits to London Heathrow, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam.</p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="10,1,0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Middle East &amp; GCC Gateways:</b> High-volume daily belly shipments of fresh vegetables and chilled foods into Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.</p></li><li style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><p data-path-to-node="10,2,0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="0" style="line-height: 1.15 !important;">Southeast Asia &amp; Far East:</b> Direct fresh-produce links to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong.</p></li></ul><h4 data-path-to-node="11" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;"><b>Seamless Regulatory &amp; Customs Processing</b></h4><p data-path-to-node="12" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;">The facility integrates dedicated on-site inspection stations for the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Plant Quarantine Office, alongside round-the-clock Indian Customs green-channel processing. With digital documentation integrated directly into Air India Cargo’s centralized community portal, dwell times between cargo delivery at airport gates and aircraft pallet build-up have been reduced from six hours to under 75 minutes.</p><p data-path-to-node="13" style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans Text&quot;, sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important;">The launch of the automated facility reinforces Bengaluru’s strategic position as the primary perishable air freight hub for South Asia while driving higher export value realization for Indian farming and agribusiness communities.</p>