TWO fledgling cargo airlines, QuickJet and Flyington Freighters, have received permission from regulators to start operations in India this year amid growing demand for air lift from the nation's high-tech manufacturers and retailers.
A further two cargo-only airlines, Mumbai-based Avicore Aviation and Delhi-based Aryan Cargo Express are also seeking the government's approval to launch operations, reports Livemint India Wall Street Journal, which went on to say that Jet Airways and Reliance Industries are also considering entering the air cargo market in India.
These developments follow a recent announcement that India's Civil Aviation Ministry will focus on the nation's air cargo industry this year. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel was cited as saying at a recent industry gathering in New Delhi, "Cargo is going to be the big business of the future."
The report said that a plan by Aviation Consultants Pvt Ltd in Mumbai to set up a scheduled airfreight transportation service by early April, dubbed QuickJet, using two leased Boeing 737-300 aircraft, has been given the green light by the ministry.
"Just like the low-cost carriers, we are trying to open the cargo space," said QuickJet chief operating officer Ramesh Natesan.
According to Mr Natesan, the regional cargo airline will be based in Bangalore and focus on domestic as well as Asia-Pacific trade routes. The carrier will likely establish a base in Singapore to connect with China's Guangzhou city, he told the online news agency.
The report noted that India's domestic air cargo market had been dominated for years by scheduled cargo airline, Blue Dart Aviation, until recently, state-owned carrier National Aviation teamed up with logistics firm Gati to break Blue Dart's monopoly.
To open up India's airfreight market further, QuickJet intends to increase its fleet size to five cargo aircraft after having raised US$70 million in support of its plans.
For its part, Flyington has ordered six freighter aircraft from Airbus for US$1 billion, which are expected to be delivered next year. In the meantime, it has secured a leased 1999-made Airbus 300-C4-605 RF aircraft from Ireland's GAF Leasing Ltd, the report added.
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