SpiceJet carries a record 774 tons of shrimp & fresh farm

SpiceJet carries a record 774 tons of shrimp & fresh farm produce from Tamil Nadu during lockdown period

Lending a helping hand: SpiceJet ensures timely & efficient transport of farm produce

·         During lockdown period, till May 8, SpiceJet has carried 685 tons of shrimp from Chennai

·         Has transported close to 1115 tons of shrimp from Chennai between February 25-May 8, 2020

·         During lockdown period, till May 8, SpiceJet has carried 73 tons of perishables to and from Chennai to various domestic & international destinations

·         Has transported 511 tons of other cargo including COVID-19 related medical and essential supplies to and from the State between February 25-May 8, 2020

·         Has transported 6650 tons of medical and essential supplies within and outside India during the lockdown period – more than double of all domestic airlines combined together

SpiceJet, the country’s biggest air cargo operator, is contributing in a big way to support Tamil Nadu’s farmers by transporting record quantities of fresh farm and shrimp produce and supporting the government’s ‘Krishi Udan’ and ‘Marine Krishi Udaan’ initiatives.

Lending a helping hand to farmers and ensuring that the supply chain remains intact and farmers get to transport and export their produce in a timely and efficient manner during the nation-wide lockdown, SpiceJet has transported 774 tons of fresh farm and shrimp produce from Chennai and Coimbatore using its dedicated fleet of freighters and passenger aircraft and operating special cargo flights to various domestic and international destinations.

Chennai has been a major hub for SpiceJet for transporting shrimp.

Pioneer of India’s ‘Marine Krishi Udaan’, SpiceJet had launched dedicated freighter flights on February 25 this year to ferry shrimp. The airline has transported 685 tons of shrimp during the lockdown phase till May 8, 2020 from Chennai. The key routes include Chennai-Kolkata (318.3 MT) and Chennai-Surat (366.6 MT).

Between February 25 and May 8, SpiceJet has transported close to 1115 tons of shrimp from Chennai. Shrimp farmers used to face a lot of problems in undertaking timely transportation of seeds in the absence of dedicated freighter flights thereby leading to heavy losses.

As part of its efforts to provide a boost to agro exports in the State, the airline has ferried around 89 tons of fresh farm produce during the lockdown period till May 8, 2020 to and from Chennai and Coimbatore to a host of international destinations. 

Ajay Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, SpiceJet, said, “These are the most difficult times for our farmer community who have been amongst the worst hit during this pandemic. In the absence of timely transportation farmers would have faced huge losses and we are happy that our cargo services have been of help to them. SpiceJet remains firmly committed to the Government's all-out efforts in mitigating the adverse impact of the pandemic.”

Altogether, SpiceJet has transported over 20 lakh kilograms of fresh farm and shrimp produce during the lockdown period. This includes 950 tons of shrimp carried during the lockdown period, till May 8 and 1070 tons of fresh farm produce.

Overall, during the lockdown period, SpiceJet has transported 1285 tons of cargo to and from Tamil Nadu which includes transporting medical and surgical supplies, sanitizers, face masks, coronavirus rapid test kits, IR thermometers etc. and providing doorstep deliveries of essential supplies, medicines, medical equipment, cold chain medical supplies to various medical and pharma companies, international retailers in this global war against COVID-19 pandemic.

The airline has transported a total of 6650 tons of cargo within and outside India.

The airline has operated special cargo flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok, Colombo, Dubai, Kabul, Myanmar, Sharjah, Male, Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, Bahrain, Cambodia, Ukraine and a host of other places.

SpiceJet has been continuously expanding its cargo network on both domestic and international routes carrying not just COVID-19 related medical supplies but also ensuring that vital export lines from India to other countries remain intact. The airline 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.

On March 29, SpiceJet operated a special flight between Delhi and Jodhpur to facilitate transportation of 136 Indian passengers evacuated from COVID-19 hit Iran to a Government quarantine facility in the city.

SpiceJet operated a special charter flight on March 27 from Delhi to Coimbatore on Government's request and transported a Hazmat suit that is helping local authorities replicate and start local manufacturing.