Plea to cancel courier terminal tender of pvt player

Chennai, July 26 (UNI) Association of Express Industry (AEISI) today appealed to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to transfer the custodianship of Chennai Airport Common User Courier Terminal to a neutral body after cancelling the existing tender of a private player.

Talking to newspersons here, AEISI Secretary A Sheriff alleged the existing courier terminal, handled by ESQUIRE, lacked transparency in costs and operation besides having an exorbitant pricing structure coupled with no value-added services.

''This style of functioning goes against the very spirit of the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Promotion of Exports by Air (SCOPE-AIR), which outlined a 'no-profit' and 'no-loss' paradigm for the custodian of the terminal,'' he added.

''Of the 15 major market players who use the courier terminal, one has already closed Chennai operations while four others cut down business volumes while considering alternative means of consignment transfer.

''The existing pricing pattern is such that an end-user in Chennai will take home a one kg consignment at Rs 337 while his counterpart in Delhi will be paying a meagre Rs eight,'' he claimed.

Mr Sheriff said they planned to make more representations to the AAI to find an immediate solution.

''If it is not suitably resolved, we intend to take up our case with the concerned departments in the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Commerce,'' he said.

UNI