Airline majot, SpiceJet on May 16 launched 14 cargo freighters to and from the North Eastern states of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura using its Bombardier Q400 freighters.
In a statement, the airline said, “The dedicated cargo flights will help transport fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, perishables, fish seeds, fresh fish, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, express cargo and other general cargo. Besides improving logistics and connectivity, the new freighter service will boost the growth of trade in the northeastern markets and help the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).”
SpiceJet will operate daily cargo flights on Kolkata-Guwahati and Kolkata-Imphal sector, besides flying between Kolkata and Guwahati via Aizawl and Dimapur twice a week.
It will also operate cargo flights on the Kolkata- Agartala and Agartala-Guwahati sectors thrice a week and Kolkata-Silchar and Silchar-Guwahati routes twice a week.
Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister, Assam said that farmers from the region can now transport their fresh farm produce across the country and internationally with the help of this cargo service.
“Assam alone has more than 37 lakh farmer families. Today is a big day for all of them as their produce can now go global. This initiative will provide a big boost to traders and business houses in Assam and North East, a region that has terrific growth potential,” he added.
Sonowal said that 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 boost local business.
SpiceJet Chairman and MD Ajay Singh said that the North East still suffers from a lack of connectivity despite being one of the most culturally and geographically rich regions in India, known for their natural produce, consumables and other essential products.
“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,” he added.
The service will carry both perishable and general cargo to 44 international destinations of the SpiceJet network, Singh said through video link from New Delhi.
SpiceJet operates a fleet of 13 cargo aircraft including two wide-body planes and is the only Indian carrier to operate long-haul cargo flights to Europe.
Since the nationwide lockdown began, the airline has operated more than 7,000 cargo flights and transported over 50,000 tonnes of cargo since March 25, 2020. Out of these flights, around 3,000 were to international destinations.
