New Delhi, 18 Mar, 2015: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will launch dedicated freighter operations (subject to regulatory approvals) becoming the first private Indian passenger airline to offer all-cargo services.
The freighter services will be operated using an A330-200F aircraft wet-leased from strategic-partner Etihad Airways and will have an operating base in New Delhi. Scheduled to commence in April 2015, the freighter services will operate to a number of international and domestic destinations including Bangalore, Hong Kong, Hanoi and Singapore.
Cramer Ball, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airways, said: “The launch of dedicated freighter operations is a landmark moment for Jet Airways as it enables the airline to provide, for the first time, freighter services for customers in India and around the world.
“In line with the ‘Guest First’ strategy that Jet Airways has implemented for its passenger services, Jet Airways Cargo has developed a wide range of service options to meet the growing needs of its customers, including express and valuable products.
“India is now the second fastest growing air cargo market in the world and this growth is expected to continue in line with the country’s economy and we look forward to cargo making a strong contribution to the annual revenues of Jet Airways.”
The wet-lease agreement for the freighter aircraft is another illustration of the strong partnership between Jet Airways and Etihad Airways which has enabled the Indian carrier to embark upon new activities, such as cargo-only services, which will improve its revenues further.
Kevin Knight, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, Etihad Airways said: “We are delighted to work with Jet Airways as it launches its first cargo-only operations, a move which will bring considerable benefits to both the airlines as well as businesses across India and our global networks.
“Etihad Airways has established a highly successful freighter operation during the last decade, with depth in our fleet, and this has enabled us to wet-lease this A330-200F aircraft to Jet Airways and we look forward to working with Jet Airways to make this new operation a success.”
The launch of Jet Airways’ dedicated freighter services also demonstrates the importance of cargo to the Indian economy and will support the Indian Government’s “Make in India” campaign which requires strong logistics support.
Jet Airways will provide customers with main-deck capability, complementing its extensive passenger belly network as well as infusing much needed additional cargo capacity into constrained domestic sectors.
It will help foster the continued growth and scale of the domestic e-Commerce sector and facilitate international commerce by developing existing and new trade lanes such as between Vietnam and India.
