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Indian Airlines to convert five B-737 aircraft into freighters
Indian government-run airliner Indian Airlines (IA) is planning to convert five of its Boeing aircraft into freighters and intends to operate them on a hub-and-spoke pattern with Nagpur as its hub
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
May 19, 2005: With air cargo traffic expected to outpace passenger air traffic in the next two decades, Indian government-run airliner Indian Airlines (IA) is planning to convert five of its Boeing aircraft into freighters and intends to operate them on a hub-and-spoke pattern with Nagpur as its hub.
The five Boeing aircraft, currently being operated by Indian
Airlines' subsidiary Alliance Air, are expected to be convreted to cargo planes and begin operations by December 2005. Alliance Air is expected to induct an Airbus A319 aircraft on lease for its winter schedule, and together with the converted planes, it hopes to become a mighty cargo airliner in India.
"The Rs 25 billion air express cargo market is witnessing a 20 per cent growth year-on-year. This is a growing market that Indian Airlines plans to enter and expand over the next few years," the company said in a statement.
The air cargo service will cater to six major cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, with Nagpur as the hub. Hub-and-Spoke is a pattern where one airport will act as a hub, with all planes returning to the base from spokes (other destinations). This method has proven to increase the connectivity from even remote location to the main feeder line.
Nagpur airport has been selected as the hub due to its geographical positioning, so that air cargo from four parts of the country – North, East West and South – would be brought in to a middle-point for onward distribution to different destinations.
The dedicated freighter aircraft operations will enable IA to service the courier market even at the retail end, offering a reliable, 24x7, door-to-door, value for money operations, Indian Airlines said, adding this would help in optimal utilization of the five B-737s.
The timings of the freighter flights will be made to suit the express cargo market, while all kinds of cargo, including perishable goods and medicines would be ferried.
However, the process of converting the Boeing passenger planes into freighters will begin only after Alliance Air takes delivery of the newer A-319s from early next year.
A formal decision is likely to be taken soon by Indian Airlines board, the statement said.
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
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