AISATS introduces one-day cargo warehousing at Bengaluru airport

Air India SATS Airport Services (AISATS) has launched a Short-Term Warehousing service at its BLR Logistics Park near Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, giving freight forwarders and shippers access to storage from one day without committing to a long-term lease. The service accommodates both general and temperature-controlled cargo and is intended to handle urgent consignments, short peaks in demand and shipments requiring temporary holding before onward movement.

The new offer uses infrastructure already developed at the eight-acre logistics park, which combines warehousing with consolidation and cargo support services near the airport. Its location is important to the operating model: freight requiring an intermediate stop can be brought to a facility near the cargo terminals instead of being transferred to a more distant warehouse and returned later for export or distribution. AISATS says that arrangement can reduce road movements and avoid costs associated with unnecessary additional handling.

The BLR Logistics Park brings together Grade A warehousing, customs-bonded storage, common-user cold storage, cargo consolidation, transfers, packing, labelling, handling equipment and labour. AISATS is opening access to existing infrastructure through shorter bookings rather than announcing a new building. Storage from one day is available for both general and temperature-controlled cargo, although the operator has not published a universal daily tariff or said that every commodity can use identical handling arrangements.

Airport cargo typically passes through several distinct stages, and not every consignment can move directly from an aircraft or truck into its next transport leg. Shipments may arrive before booked uplift, await consolidation with other loads or require inspection and documentation before release. Temporary space can separate these activities from the time-sensitive flow through the cargo terminal. For freight forwarders, the availability of a local buffer is especially useful when arrivals are uneven or transport schedules change at short notice.

Temperature-controlled products add further constraints because the storage environment must be appropriate for the material being held. AISATS says the facility has already handled specialised medical equipment and stored chemicals and pharmaceutical ingredients in its common-user cold-storage operation. The announcement does not specify certified temperature bands for the new short-term service or claim that every commodity can be accommodated. Customers with regulated or sensitive cargo would therefore still need to agree the applicable storage conditions, documentation and handling procedures.

The operator identifies peak periods around Diwali, Christmas and New Year as possible sources of demand, alongside project cargo, oversized equipment and consignments with irregular arrival patterns. Those needs are different from the steady warehouse requirements of an importer or distributor occupying a fixed site. Short bookings can offer capacity during a temporary peak without leaving customers paying for unused space for the rest of a year, although the total value depends on storage tariffs, handling charges and how often the service is used.

AISATS puts the eight-acre park’s occupancy at about 70% within its first year of operations. DHL, DSV, FedEx, Kuehne+Nagel and CEVA Logistics are among the logistics companies operating there. The short-term service is aimed particularly at smaller and medium-sized freight forwarders and shippers whose volumes are not consistent enough to justify a long lease. Existing customers and temporary bookings will draw on the same wider operating site, making allocation of handling resources and available space an important consideration during peak periods.

The park sits near Kempegowda International Airport and National Highway 44, serving logistics flows associated with electronics, semiconductors, engineering, aerospace and pharmaceuticals. Earlier descriptions of the development put its general warehousing space at roughly 250,000 sq ft across two floors, alongside bonded and supporting facilities. That is an estimate for the wider park, not the amount available to short-term customers. No dedicated square footage or guaranteed tonnage for the new service is specified in AISATS’s announcement.

Short-term general storage and customs-bonded storage are also not interchangeable services. Cargo that has not been cleared for release remains subject to the relevant customs processes, regardless of whether its owner requires storage for one day or several weeks. Similarly, temperature-controlled accommodation has to be matched to the product’s handling instructions. The site provides both forms of specialist infrastructure, but the new commercial offer does not remove existing regulatory or product-specific conditions. Clear allocation of responsibility for handling and documentation will remain essential when bookings are brief.

Short bookings still require standard warehouse controls. Incoming cargo must be identified, assigned a suitable storage location and released to the correct haulier or cargo handler, while any temperature requirements have to be maintained throughout the stay. AISATS has not detailed guaranteed booking availability during seasonal peaks or the tariffs for specialist handling. The new option therefore broadens access to the park without changing the customs, safety and product-specific requirements that apply to freight using it.