In India, the demand for cargo is rising quickly.
As it tries to expand its cargo operations, Air India will take into consideration the purchase of specialized freighter aircraft — according to some reports, up to 80 cargo jets in the next two decades. Currently, there are no freighters in the airline’s fleet.
Looking at freighters is Air India
Under its new leadership, Air India is undergoing a significant makeover, with cargo being one of its key areas of concentration. According to Business Standard, the carrier will consider adding freighter aircraft to increase its belly capacity. Unlike rival Indian airlines SpiceJet and IndiGo, Air India’s fleet, which currently includes 117 passenger planes, does not contain a single dedicated freighter aircraft.
Following the announcement of a record-breaking purchase for 470 aircraft earlier this year, the airline’s fleet will significantly grow over the following several years. The deal, which includes Airbus and Boeing planes, aspires to restore the carrier to the top-tier global stature it had in earlier decades. The Loadstar claims that Air India could buy up to 80 freighters over the next 20 years to capitalize on the fast increase in e-commerce demand.
Co-founder and director of Kale Logistics Solutions, Vineet Malhotra, said,
“Global airlines are increasingly looking to grow their fleets as a result of the recovery from the COVID-19 disruption, as evidenced by Air India’s fleet expansion. In the foreseeable future, an increase in narrowbody freighter deployments is being driven by India’s explosive e-commerce boom.
Growth for Air India Express stagnated.
The growth of low-cost carrier Air India Express this summer is in jeopardy due to Boeing’s most recent 737 MAX production issue. The manufacturing issue is probably going to affect the delivery of the 50 or so Boeing 737 MAXs that the Air India Group has ordered out of a total of 190.
However, all MAXs (apart from the -9 variant) built after 2019 will require retrofitting to address the issue caused by fittings that were fitted incorrectly on the aft fuselage section. Due to the fact that all 13 MAXs ordered by rival SpiceJet were made before 2019, they will not be impacted.
Update on transformation
Since Air India’s five-year transformation plan was revealed, six months have passed, and the Tata-owned airline is making good progress. The airline has committed $400 million to fleet upgrades and $200 million to IT advances, including the creation of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, in addition to its sizable order with Airbus and Boeing. The ‘take-off’ phase of the plan is the next stage.
According to The Hindustan Times, CEO Campbell Wilson informed staff this week that 1,400 additional members of the cabin crew are already undergoing training, with another 400 set to be deployed soon. The airline’s first Airbus A350 is also getting ready to take flight, and six Boeing 777-300ERs will be joining the long-haul fleet this year.
