SpiceXpress: SpiceJet Becomes First Domestic Airline To Launch Dedicated Air Cargo Services

Spicjet has drawn up plans to become the first domestic carrier in India to venture into the dedicated air cargo services space. The carrier plans to offer the said services under the brand name ‘SpiceXpress’ and is slated to start operations from 18 September.

While the initial flight would be from New Delhi to Bengaluru, the carrier has plans to serve both domestic and international routes. A release by the airline stated that “to begin with, the air cargo operations will cover Delhi, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Hong Kong, Kabul and Amritsar.”

It is expected that the revenues from air cargo services would boost the growth in the airlines’ ancillary business. With India’s air cargo traffic projected to rise by 60 per cent over the next five years, it is expected that the airline would be able to tap into this vast potential with its dedicated air cargo service.

The airline plans to ferry among other items fresh vegetables and fruits to destinations in the Middle East through its SpiceXpress offering. The present cargo capacity of the airline is 500 tonnes per day and with the addition of four dedicated freighters by March 2019, the capacity is expected to rise to 900 tonnes per day. According to the airline, Boeing 737 planes would be used for the purposes of its air cargo services with the first inducted aircraft having a capacity of 20 tonnes