First Indian carrier to operate a non-stop cargo flight from Europe
SpiceJet’s Airbus A340 aircraft flies with cargo from Amsterdam to Mumbai
The A340 will fly from Mumbai to Sudan with 40 tonnes of cargo tomorrow
SpiceJet has transported over 31800 tonnes of cargo since lockdown began
GURUGRAM, NFAPost: SpiceJet, India’s favourite airline and the largest air cargo operator, operated its first-ever long-haul cargo flight from Amsterdam to Mumbai using its wide-body Airbus A340 aircraft on Saturday.
The aircraft will operate from Mumbai to Khartoum in Sudan on Sunday. SpiceJet is the first and only Indian carrier to operate non-stop cargo services from Europe on a dedicated freighter.
Adding Netherlands to its international cargo network, SpiceJet carried 13 tonnes of cargo supplies to Mumbai. The flight departed from the Dutch capital at 10.50 PM (local time) on August 21, 2020 and reached Mumbai at 10.54 AM (local time) today.
The A340 freighter will fly from Mumbai to Khartoum on August 23 carrying 40 tonnes of cargo. This will be SpiceJet’s first non-stop flight to Africa. The airline has earlier flown to Sudan via Ras Al-Khaimah.
Long-haul flight
Expressing happiness on the company’s achievement, SpiceJet Chairman & Managing Director Ajay Singh said it is a proud moment and a huge milestone in SpiceJet’s remarkable journey as India’s leading cargo operator as the company successfully operated its first wide-body long-haul flight from Europe.
“The induction of our first Airbus A340 cargo aircraft has significantly enhanced our operational capability and will allow us to operate non-stop cargo services across the globe to destinations in Europe, Africa and CIS countries,” said SpiceJet Chairman & Managing Director Ajay Singh.
Amidst the greatest crisis ever to hit global aviation, SpiceJet has emerged as India’s No. 1 cargo company. The airline has operated over 5764 cargo flights and transported over 31800 tonnes of cargo – this is more than double of all domestic airlines combined together – carrying medicines and medical equipment and fruits and vegetables to all corners of India and the world since March 25, 2020.
SpiceJet operated the country’s first cargo-on-seat flight on April 7 carrying vital supplies in passenger cabin & belly space. Since then, the airline has been regularly deploying its B737 and Q400 passenger aircraft to carry cargo in the passenger cabin.
International destination
SpiceJet’s international cargo network now spans over 42 international destinations that include Amsterdam, Rome, Almaty, Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Bahrain, Bangkok, Bishkek, Cambodia, Cairo, Cebu, Chad, Colombo, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Huangzhou, Incheon, Jakarta, Kabul, Kathmandu, Khartoum, Kyrgyzstan, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Male, Myanmar, Shanghai, Singapore, Sharjah, Sulaymaniyah, Tashkent, Ukraine, among others. The airline has also been actively using Ras Al-Khaimah airport as a hub for its cargo operations.
SpiceJet is India’s favourite airline that has made flying affordable for more Indians than ever before. The airline has a fleet of 74 Boeing 737, 29 Bombardier Q-400s, eight B737 & Bombardier Q-400 freighters and is the country’s largest regional player operating 49 daily flights under UDAN or the Regional Connectivity Scheme. The majority of the airline’s fleet offers SpiceMax, the most spacious economy class seating in India.
The airline also operates a dedicated air cargo service under the brand name SpiceXpress offering safe, on-time, efficient and seamless cargo connectivity across India and on international routes.
