India's SpiceJet has taken delivery of its first dedicated freighter aircraft as it plans to start its first cargo services on 18 September.
The low-cost carrier tells FlightGlobal that cargo services will be operated by a separate business unit called SpiceXpress, which will fly between Delhi, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Amritsar, Hong Kong and Kabul.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that SpiceJet's first freighter is a converted Boeing 737-700 (MSN 29042) that has been leased from NGF Genesis. The 1998-build jet was originally operated by Xiamen Airlines, and was converted earlier this year in Tel Aviv.
SpiceJet says that it plans to induct another three more 737-700Fs by the end of March 2019.
When all four freighters are in operation, its total cargo capacity will rise to around 900t daily, compared to around 500t now.
The announcement follows an earlier 2015 development in which SpiceJet said it was intending to start dedicated freighter services at the end of that year, and had also ceased all cargo subcontracts.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
