Hyderabad Airport Deleted from the list of Customs Airports
As per Section 7 of the Customs Act,
Appointment SECTION 7. of customs ports, airports, etc . - The Board may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint -
the ports and airports which alone shall be customs ports or customs airports for the unloading of imported goods and the loading of export goods or any class of such goods;
The Government/Board had appointed several ports by Notification No. 61/1994 – Cus NT dated 21.11.1994.
In Andhra Pradesh there were four such appointed airports, namely; Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Renigunta and Shamshabad .
Shamshabad, as is well known, is Hyderabad's new high-tech, high-cost airport. The promoters of Shamshabad airport were very insistent that Hyderabad airport should be killed and a pliant government agreed causing immense inconvenience to air travellers. To reach the airport takes more time than reaching any city by air. Technically though the Hyderabad airport is closed for the public, it is still a very good airport with all facilities and because the Customs Notification still recognised it as a Customs airport for loading export goods and unloading imported goods, it can still be used as a cargo airport – but that will not suit the interests of the promoters of the new Shamshabad airport and whenever there is a clash between private and public interest, the government is sure to be on the side of the private interest.
Notification NO. Dated: 6 th January, 2009