Low-cost carrier IndiGo has announced its plans to boost its cargo operations with additional converted freighters.
In a statement, India's largest passenger airline in India by fleet size said it is in the process of sourcing four A321ceo aircraft, each of which will be converted from passenger jets to a full freighter configuration.
A Letter of Intent has been signed with a lessor for two aircraft already, and IndiGo expects to reach agreement for the next two shortly.
The carrier noted that the A321P2F (passenger-to-freighter conversion) is the most efficient narrow-bodied freighter available, offering 24 container positions and supporting a payload of up to 27 tonnes.
IndiGo is expected to take the delivery of its first freighter in the first half of 2022, which will be used for both domestic and regional missions.
The remaining three aircraft in the initial commitment are expected to arrive within a year or so from arrival of our first freighter, and further aircraft may be sourced depending on market development.
Positive cargo growth outlook
"CarGo has been a success story over the last year, scaling new heights and creating new records, but our belief in the cargo business goes beyond the special circumstances right now. IndiGo was already the largest carrier of cargo in domestic India before Covid-19, and we expect the market to continue to grow after the pandemic," said Ronojoy Dutta, chief executive officer and Wholetime Director, IndiGo.
"Our investment in the Airbus Freighter Programme will help strengthen our product and services in the segment, and not only help accelerate our own business recovery but also be a strong engine of economic growth for the country," he added.
IndiGo currently has a fleet of 280+ aircraft, and is operating around 1200 daily flights and connecting 66 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations.