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GURUGRAM, February 25, 2020: In a major boost for India’s Shrimp farmers, SpiceJet, the country’s favourite carrier, 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.
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 commendable Krishi Udaan scheme.”
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.
SpiceJet is the country’s largest regional player operating 49 daily flights under UDAN, the Regional Connectivity Scheme. The airline’s cargo services operate on both domestic and international routes, powered by fully integrated transportation network including air cargo, ground transportation and warehousing facilities across the country.
Freighter schedule:
| Flight No. |
Origin
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Destination
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Departure
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Arrival
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Frequency
|
|
SG-7051
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Chennai
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Vishakhapatnam
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10:25am
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11:50am
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1,3,5
|
|
SG-7051
|
Vishakhapatnam
|
Surat
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01:05pm
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3:20pm
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1,3,5
|
|
SG-7051
|
Surat
|
Chennai
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04:10pm
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05:45pm
|
1,3,5
|
|
SG-7050
|
Chennai
|
Vishakhapatnam
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10:25am
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11:50am
|
2,4,6
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|
SG-7050
|
Vishakhapatnam
|
Kolkata
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01:05pm
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02:30pm
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2,4,6
|
|
SG-7050
|
Kolkata
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Chennai
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03:30pm
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05:45pm
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2,4,6
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(1- Monday, 2- Tuesday, 3- Wednesday, 4- Thursday, 5- Friday, 6- Saturday, 7- Sunday)
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