New Delhi: Budget carrier SpiceJet has said it is operating its first cargo freighter on the Chennai-Singapore-Chennai route today, carrying critical medical equipment and COVID-19 related medical supplies.
SpiceJet’s Boeing 737 freighter aircraft is scheduled to arrive in Chennai at around 5.30 pm today.
Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director, SpiceJet, said, “SpiceJet is putting its freighter and passenger aircraft to maximum use to carry medical and other vital supplies in these difficult times."
"We will be operating another cargo freighter from Singapore to Bengaluru tomorrow. SpiceJet’s freighters have been flying non-stop carrying vital supplies to and from Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and host of other places including South-East Asia. Since the lockdown began, we have operated around 200 domestic and international cargo flights transporting more than 1500 tonnes of cold chain medical supplies, medicines, medical devices for various state governments, medical and pharma companies along with essential supplies,” added SpiceJet chairman.
Since March 27, various air operators, including Air India and its subsidiary Alliance Air have been operating cargo flights, using the belly space of the passenger plane, under Lifeline Udan initiative of the Central government, which is aimed at the transportation of medical cargo and essential supplies across India at the time of the COVID-19 crisis.
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As of now, lifeline Udan flights transported 39.3 tonnes of medical supplies across the country on April 7, 2020. Total cargo transported by these flights is around 240 tonnes during the COVID-19 lockdown. 161 flights have been operated under Lifeline UDAN to date covering 1,41,080 Kms, said Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday.
SpiceJet has transported over 1500 tons of cargo carrying essential supplies since the nation-wide lockdown. The airline operated the country’s first cargo-on-seat flight carrying vital supplies in the passenger cabin on April 7. Since then, the airline has been regularly using its Boeing 737 aircraft to carry cargo in the passenger cabin.
The airline has also operated special cargo flights to Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and other countries taking fresh fruits and vegetables and helping Indian farmers maintain continuity of their supply chains in addition to operating dedicated services from Chennai & Vishakhapatnam to Surat & Kolkata. On March 26, SpiceJet helped transport an emergency consignment of IR Thermometers, required to detect COVID-19, to Kolkata from Hong Kong.
