SpiceJet launches cargo services to serve north east India

SpiceJet has launched 14 cargo services to and from north east India, using its Bombardier Q400 aircraft, to move perishables, pharma, express and general cargo.

The carrier said it is the first Indian airline to introduce dedicated cargo flights serving North Eastern India “thus ensuring unparalleled connectivity with the rest of the country”.

SpiceJet will operate daily cargo flights between Kolkata-Guwahati, Guwahati-Kolkata, Kolkata-Imphal and Imphal-Kolkata. It has also introduced cargo flights between Kolkata and Guwahati via Aizawl and Dimapur, which will operate twice a week.

In addition, the carrier will operate cargo flights between Kolkata-Agartala and Agartala-Guwahati sectors three times a week, and between Kolkata-Silchar and Silchar-Guwahati twice a week.

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, chief minister of the Assam region, commented: “I would like to congratulate SpiceJet for this wonderful and much-needed initiative that would provide a big boost to traders and business houses in Assam and North East, a region that has such terrific growth potential.

“Farmers from the region can now transport their fresh farm produce across the country and internationally also.

“I would urge local businesses, traders, entrepreneurs to make use of this opportunity that provides us access to markets not only within India but across the globe. SpiceJet dedicating a part of its fleet to improving connectivity and strengthening the supply chain in Assam and North East is a welcome step that will immensely help and boost local business, trade, micro, small and medium enterprises and farmers.”

Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director at SpiceJet, added: “While being one of the most culturally and geographically rich regions in India known for their natural produce, consumables and other essential products, the North East still suffers from a lack of connectivity and it has always been a dream to help better integrate this wonderful part of India with the rest of our country. Our dedicated cargo service will provide the quickest access to farmers and businesses in the North East to transport their goods to the rest of the country while at the same time facilitating easy transportation of essential cargo to the region. As the prime minister has said that North East has the potential to become India’s growth engine, we sincerely hope that our dedicated cargo flights will help significantly transform the region.”

SpiceJet operates a fleet of 13 aircraft for its cargo services, including two widebody aircraft, and it is the only Indian carrier to operate long-haul cargo flights to Europe. 

SpiceJet’s cargo network covers more than 44 destinations that include: Almaty, Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Bahrain, Bangkok, Bishkek, Cambodia, Cairo, Cebu, Chad, Colombo, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Huangzhou, Incheon, Jakarta, Kabul, Kathmandu, Khartoum, Kyrgyzstan, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Male, Myanmar, Shanghai, Singapore, Sharjah, Sulaymaniyah, Tashkent and Ukraine, among others.

Meanwhile, the overall airline group this week reported its fiscal first quarter results. It posted a net loss of R593.4 crore compared with a profit of R261.7 crore last year and revenues fell by more than 80% year on year to R483.3 crore.

Results were impacted by the grounding of passenger operations, but its cargo flights performed well.