Bhubaneswar, Jan. 2: International air cargo operations will start from the city airport by the end of January to benefit exporters of seafood and other goods.

Sources said the airport already had all clearances to start the operations.

In a discussion held between MSME department's principal secretary L.N. Gupta and Airports Authority of India executive director (cargo operations) Neera Rawat, it was decided that the operations would start by the end of this month.

Gupta said Rawat said all help would be extended to start the operations. He said customs commissioner Deepak Arora had been intimated about the place for setting up an air cargo complex within the airport.

Odisha Seafood Exporters' Association member S.N. Swain said starting air cargo operations from the airport would help the seafood business to widen its reach.

"This is an international facility and a cargo hub would help it gain an edge over other international airports in the country," he said.

Swain said that at present, despite availability of 26 processing units in the state for shrimps and other seafood, export from here was in block frozen form.

"The demand for block frozen seafood is necessitated by long travel time of goods by the sea from here. However, demand for block frozen seafood in international markets has declined over the past two years. Air cargo operations would reduce the travel time," he said, adding that the demand for fresh frozen seafood had risen on the other hand.