Date:28/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/28/stories/2007102855220900.htm

National

Plan to expand air cargo service

Sandeep Joshi

NEW DELHI: Buoyed by the success of its maiden air cargo service to the North-Eastern States a couple of months ago, the Department of Posts (DoP) has now approached the Planning Commission seeking funds for acquiring or leasing at least five more airplanes to expand its freighter service to other sectors.

Senior DoP officials have approached the Planning Commission as well as the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology seeking necessary funds and permission to expand the air cargo service to other States.

“We have urged the Planning Commission to incorporate our proposal in the final draft of the 11th Five-Year Plan, to be released soon, so that necessary funds for the ambitious project could be earmarked,” said a senior DoP official.

Stating that the Planning Commission has given in-principle approval to the plan, the official said the DoP wants immediate sanctioning of funds to add at least one more plane for the cargo service soon, while the remaining four freighter aircraft could be added to the fleet in a phased manner so that the mail and parcel delivery system in the country could be made more efficient.

On August 29 this year the DoP had launched its air cargo service to the North-East by leasing a Boeing 737-200 from Air India to improve its delivery of mail, parcels and other articles to the seven North-Eastern States on schedule, besides helping exporters from the States in timely delivery of their consignments.

In the only airplane operational now, the DoP had invested Rs.12 crore, including the lease amount, and converted it into a cargo plane to take on the new role of a freighter dedicated aircraft capable of carrying 15 tonnes at a time.

The flight now operates on the Kolkata-Guwahati-Imphal-Agartala route, with Kolkata being the regional hub for the service.

The DoP official said the service has been a huge success as the demand was over twice the existing capacity of the aircraft. “State Governments in the North-East where the plane does not make a stopover now have asked us to add their capitals also in the route itinerary. The demand is huge and we want to expand our service in the region,” he said.

DoP also wants to introduce its air cargo service in the northern, western and southern regions by making the remaining three Metros – Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai — as their regional hubs.

“Some Governments have been asking us to introduce the cargo service in their States. The business community in Maharashtra and Gujarat, particularly exporters, are keen on having the DoP’s air cargo service soon to end the monopoly of private carriers. We are awaiting funds and necessary sanctions from the Government to tap the market,” the official added.