Aviation: Spicejet to start its cargo service from September 18

In a bid to boost revenue and expand its footprint beyond commercial passenger operations, low-cost domestic airline SpiceJet is all set to launch its cargo service form September 18. 

Spicejet said that it would have a separate air cargo fleet comprising Boeing 737 planes, and that it planned to add the first four aircraft by the 2019 fiscal year. In the next five years, the air cargo traffic in India is expected to grow by 60 percent, the airline said. 

According to the domestic carrier, the new planes were expected to increase its cargo capacity to as much as 900 tonnes per day by FY2019 from 500 tonnes per day at present.

SpiceJet will operate the cargo business under the brand name SpiceXpress. It will transport everything from letters and credit cards to blood, organs, and medicines. Other shipments would include automobiles, apparels, consumer electronics, e-commerce, and live animals, the airline said in a statement. It is also planning to ship perishables like fresh fruits and vegetables to the Middle East. 

Watch this Zee Business video here:

The airline expects its freighter fleet to cover 60 cities by FY2019, and plans to grow this to 150 destinations across India, Asia, and Europe by 2022.