Date:15/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/15/stories/2006041501171600.htm

Business

Blue Dart puts up superhub in Chennai

Corporate Reporter

To add 45 facilities across India

To have 14 additional facilities in South

South accounts for 35 p.c. of overall revenue

CHENNAI: Blue Dart, a leading air express, courier and logistics company, inaugurated its new integrated superhub in Chennai on Wednesday. This facility, located at the Old International Terminal, has airside as well as cityside access besides latest x-ray machines and cargo-handling equipment.

Established at a cost of Rs. 1 crore, the 13,540 sq.ft. hub has a handling capacity of 100 tonnes a day.

Blue Dart Aviation, which has an agreement with Blue Dart Express for dedicated air services, has its headquarters and two of its fleet of five aircraft based in Chennai.

Addressing presspersons here, Malcolm Monteiro, Managing Director, Blue Dart Express, said Chennai had emerged as the preferred destination for IT and back-end operations of banks and other multinationals. This has paved the way for manifold growth in package volumes. Also, the Chennai Port was witnessing some of the country's largest hardware imports from Southeast Asia for domestic distribution.

Speaking of the company's plans Mr. Monteiro said the company will invest Rs. 25 crore in the current year to add 45 new facilities to the already existing 217 located across the country. In fact the company was planning to have 14 additional facilities in the Southern region alone.