Blue Dart Aviation is planning to increase capacity in the next few months, with the acquisition of additional aircraft and the introduction of more routes.
The Indian express-package operator, the country's FedEx global service partner, is evaluating bigger aircraft for its fledgling fleet, and considering additional routes. A subsidiary of one of India's largest express-package companies, Blue Dart Express, Blue Dart Aviation has been operating two Boeing 737-200 freighters for about six months, says chief operating officer Robert Bresnahan.
The two 737s, converted from ex-Indian Airlines passenger aircraft, fly about 6h/day to link Calcutta and Madras via Delhi, Bombay, and Bangalore. Blue Dart hopes to introduce an additional domestic service and start its first international operation.
The company needs "one or possibly two" more 737-sized aircraft, although demand for such machines may put them at a premium. In that case, Bresnahan might consider bigger aircraft, such as the Airbus A300B4. Airbus is considering offering a conversion of Air India aircraft to cargo configuration as part of a package to win a large order for medium-range aircraft from Air India.
Bresnahan is also looking at a Madras-Delhi-Madras operation, as well as a possible service from Bombay to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
Source: Flight International
