SpiceJet to induct its first Airbus A340 cargo aircraft in freighters fleet

Mumbai: SpiceJet on Monday said it will soon induct its first Airbus A340 cargo aircraft in its freighters fleet.

The induction of the first wide-body freighter will help the airline to primarily operate cargo flights on long-haul routes including to destinations in Europe, CIS and African region, SpiceJet said in a release.

With the latest induction, SpiceJet will have a dedicated fleet of nine freighter aircraft consisting of five Boeing 737s, three Bombardier Q-400s and one Airbus A340.

"The induction of our first wide-body cargo aircraft will be a huge game changer in our journey as the country's largest cargo operator," SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said.

SpiceJet said it has played a key role in keeping the country’s supply chain intact during the nationwide lockdown. The country’s largest cargo operator, SpiceJet, has operated more than 5600 flights transporting over 31,000 tonnes of cargo since March 25, 2020.

On April 7, 2020, SpiceJet operated India’s first cargo-on-seat flight carrying vital supplies in passenger cabin and belly space. Since then, the airline has been regularly deploying its B737 and Q400 passenger aircrafts to carry cargo in the passenger cabin.

In May 2020, SpiceJet converted three Q400 passenger aircraft into freighters for operations to tier II & III cities and to remote and hilly areas.

SpiceJet’s international cargo network now spans over 41 international destinations that include Almaty, Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Bahrain, Bangkok, Bishkek, Cambodia, Cairo, Cebu, Chad, Colombo, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Huangzhou, Incheon, Jakarta, Kabul, Kathmandu, Khartoum, Kyrgyzstan, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Male, Myanmar, Shanghai, Singapore, Sharjah, Sulaymaniyah, Tashkent, Ukraine, among others. The airline has also been actively using Ras Al-Khaimah airport as a hub for its cargo operations.