Surat: SpiceJet, today announced the launch of dedicated freighter services from Chennai & Vishakhapatnam to Surat & Kolkata. The first flight is scheduled to take-off on February 25th from Chennai International Airport carrying a consignment of shrimp produce to Vishakhapatnam and Surat.

SpiceXpress, the dedicated air cargo arm of SpiceJet, will deploy its Boeing 737 freighter on these routes with an approximate carrying capacity of 21 tonnes. With the launch of the new services, SpiceXpress will be the first to connect the aforesaid cities through a freighter route.

Freighter schedule:

Flight No.	Origin	Destination	Departure	Arrival	Frequency
SG-7051	Chennai	Vishakhapatnam	10:25am	11:50am	1,3,5
SG-7051	Vishakhapatnam	Surat	01:05pm	3:20pm	1,3,5
SG-7051	Surat	Chennai	04:10pm	05:45pm	1,3,5
SG-7050	Chennai	Vishakhapatnam	10:25am	11:50am	2,4,6
SG-7050	Vishakhapatnam	Kolkata	01:05pm	02:30pm	2,4,6
SG-7050	Kolkata	Chennai	03:30pm	05:45pm	2,4,6

 (1- Monday, 2- Tuesday, 3- Wednesday, 4- Thursday, 5- Friday, 6- Saturday, 7- Sunday)

 

Marine cultivation forms a crucial part of Indian agriculture especially for coastal states. India is the largest shrimp exporter to the United States.

In India, the shrimp season starts mid-February and continues until mid-June. During this period, shrimp seeds are sent from major production centers such as Chennai, Pondicherry and Vishakhapatnam to West Bengal and Gujarat for further farming & breeding. The new freighter service offerings by SpiceJet will enhance logistics and connectivity, thus offering a major boost to shrimp farming in India.

Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet said, “Shrimp hatcheries face a lot of problems in transporting seeds in the absence of dedicated flights leading to a high mortality rate of shrimp seeds which in turn leads to heavy losses. Our dedicated freighter flights will provide the much-needed boost for shrimp farmers and go a long way in contributing to the government’s Krishi Udaan scheme.”