Goa reaches new heights with its first 1-tonne mango shipment to Muscat
According to Kaushal Khakhar, CEO, Kay Bee Exports, there are weekly mango shipments on this route now.
Goa has achieved a new milestone by shipping its first 1-tonne Alphonso mango consignment from the farms of Maharashtra to the people of Oman. This shipment is a significant milestone for GMR Air Cargo & Logistics-Goa, as it marks the first such massive shipment from Manohar International Airport (GOX) in Mopa to Muscat, Oman. Purushottam Singh Thakur, Business Head of GMR ACL, led this inaugural shipment project.
The inaugural shipment from GOX occurred in the presence of key stakeholders, including Suresh Pillai, Airport Manager of Oman Air Goa, and Hari Das, Assistant Commissioner of Goa Customs. They both played a vital role in ensuring the smooth execution of the shipment.
Shrikanth Bhandarkar, Chief Commercial Officer of GOX, along with Prashanth CS, Assistant General Manager, Commercial, GOX, and Chandrakanth Rachakonda, Commercial Manager, GOX, were also present, underscoring the strong partnership between GMR ACL and GOX.
GOX's potential as a strategic logistics hub has been highlighted by an achievement that signifies progress in bolstering trade ties between India and Oman. "The journey from Mopa to Muscat was not easy, but we will now have regular shipments on this route. We are shipping roughly one tonne of Alphonso mangoes weekly from GOX to Muscat," said Kaushal Khakhar, CEO at Kay Bee Exports, to The STAT Trade Times. Kay Bee Exports is one of India's most prominent air freight exporters of fruits and vegetables.
"I believe that shortly, we will be able to increase the volume of our shipments. We have multiple flights available in a week, which makes this possible," said Khakhar while discussing the scaling plans in progress.
Khakhar also mentioned that while they have been shipping Alphonso mangoes from India, primarily from eastern Maharashtra, to various parts of the world, including the US, Germany, and the UK, the US remains the top destination for Indian mango imports. However, no direct flights are currently available from Goa to the US.
Khakhar also pointed out that Goa is becoming a dependable option for perishable exports to GCC countries and even Europe. "We have been shipping mangoes from Goa to Europe for years," he said. "Overall, we ship around 10 to 20 tonnes of mangoes to the US daily from India. So far in the year, we have shipped over 100 tonnes of mangoes to the US and over 50 tonnes of mangos to Europe."
