As India continues to cope with low travel numbers due to the ongoing health crisis, Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo is considering the launch of dedicated freight services. While the decision has yet to be finalized, the airline is looking to bolster its revenue and sees cargo as a big opportunity. Related to this is the anticipation of a vaccine and the large-scale distribution required upon its release.
Several sources are reporting that Chief Executive Officer Ronojoy Dutta is looking into the possibility of cargo-only operations. The comments were reportedly made to the Press Trust of India (PTI) and subsequently published via other Indian media outlets.
According to Financial Express, the airline’s CEO addressed the topic with PTI saying:
“This is being studied as a proposal. (But) No final decision yet,” -Ronojoy Dutta, CEO, IndiGo
Sources go on to say that a mid-level IndiGo executive, working with the airline’s partnerships and aeropolitical affairs, reports that his employer had recently held initial level discussions with Airbus executives on the type of air freighter that could be used for such operations. “The dedicated air freighter service is expected to be a division within the airline,”the anonymous source at IndiGo said.
IndiGo has a fleet of over 250 aircraft – exclusively from the Airbus A320 family.