Bangalore-based Quikjet Cargo – operated by joint venture company Aviation Consultancy Services Pvt Ltd – will begin domestic air cargo operations from April this year.
Aviation Consultancy Services is a joint venture between Cardinal Aviation Pte Ltd, a private equity firm in Singapore, and Mumbai-based logistics firm AFL Pvt Ltd. "In the first phase, Quikjet will be using two-three Boeing B737-300 cargo planes to cover the main Indian metros using Bangalore’s new airport as a hub," according to AFL managing director and chairman Cyrus Guzder.
Quikjet is pitching itself as a premium player which will off er overnight services. Once its domestic operations are firmly in place, Quikjet plans to expand into international cargo operations. "In the second phase, which would commence by the end of this year, we would start operating to the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries," using Boeing 757 freighters on these routes. According to Dinesh A. Keskar, vicepresident, sales (commercial airplanes) of Boeing Co., the domestic air cargo market is expected to grow at 9.1 per cent a year, but there are just 12 dedicated freighters serving the domestic market.
This potential has attracted several possible new entrants, including: Jet Airways (India) Ltd, Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, Flyington Freighters Ltd – a Hyderabad cargo airline promoted by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd, Mumbai- based Avicore Aviation Pvt Ltd and New Delhi-based Aryan Cargo Express Pvt Ltd.