Quikjet, India’s first neutral cargo airline launched
Quikjet offers a neutral cargo service and as it grows it aims to serve multiple customers, airlines, business
and industry to help enable growth, competitiveness and customer service
Quikjet Airlines, India’s new airline, launched freighter operations with a B737-400SF jet, initially connecting Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Quikjet is India’s first neutral cargo airline offering airport to airport freighter capacity with a premium overnight network specifically designed to best serve the requirements of the express cargo, e-commerce and motor industries.
The first flight was from Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi to Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. Quikjet’s B737 freighter has a capacity of 21.2 tonnes and is configured to take 11 pallets of cargo. The new service will offer four daily flights, operating overnight to link Delhi with Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad in the 1st phase and will connect Mumbai & Kolkata in the 2nd phase covering all major metro hubs. The airline is launching with services for Mumbai-based Sovika Aviation and will also be available for domestic and international cargo charters. Sovika’s consistent focus on customer service fits perfectly with the ethos and mission of Quikjet Airlines to always exceed customer expectations.
Bengaluru-based
Quikjet Airlines is a Bengaluru based airline that was granted it’s scheduled services Air Operator’s Permit by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation in early February. The airline is a joint venture with ASL Aviation Group, a Dublinbased global aviation services provider with seven airlines, more than 100 aircraft and airline operations on six continents.
Hugh Flynn, Chief Executive of ASL Aviation Group, said “Quikjet will now offer a neutral cargo service and as it grows it aims to serve multiple customers, airlines, business and industry to help enable growth, competitiveness and customer service. In turn this will benefit the economy in India and this benefit will be felt more and more as Quikjet expands its operations in the months and years ahead.”
Capt. Preetham Phillip, Quikjet Airlines Chief Executive said it was a new era in the Indian air cargo industry. “We are significantly improving air cargo capacity and we now offer customers a far more premium service keeping in mind the time sensitive nature of the air cargo business. Our newly introduced connectivity with Sovika will provide a key advantage to the booming e-commerce industry. India has seen huge growth in the number of passenger aircraft but the freighter segment in India has not grown, and there are now just seven freighter aircraft serving the 7th largest economy in the world. In some cases belly space is unsuitable for largesized shipments or certain categories of goods that cannot be shipped on passenger airlines for regulatory reasons. Our expertise and focus lies in providing much needed airport to airport air cargo connectivity.”
ASL Aviation Group expects Quikjet to grow this partnership with Sovika and to expand its services all customers based on its capability to provide a range of aircraft with varying payload options to suit specific customer requirements. “We see a dynamic future for Quikjet,” said Hugh Flynn. “There is a real and significant market need and Quikjet is already building its capability to serve this need. We will be providing assistance and experience from the ASL airlines that currently serve the world’s major express integrator brands and we have no doubt that Quikjet will play a major role in the development and expansion of India’s cargo business.”
Partnership with Sovika
Sovika Aviation – An Airport to Airport Logistics Specialist is the aviation arm of Mumbai based 35 year old Sovika Group. Sahil Mehta CEO of Sovika Aviation said “This freighter is the perfect extension of our existing business model and complements well with our vision of connecting maximum airports across the country with effective air cargo services. The partnership with Quikjet will go a long way in fulfilling this vision.” Sovika COO, Akhilesh Rao said “The freighter network has been designed in a way that it blends well with our line flight networks thereby enabling maximization of loads and guaranteeing capacities to the fraternity”
The airline is certified to carry various classes of dangerous goods and hazardous materials. Quikjet operates a scheduled network connecting major cities in India and also offers aircraft for charters and long-term lease. It was founded in 2007 as a neutral cargo airline to meet the growing demand of the air cargo industry in India. Farnair Switzerland came on board in 2012, providing strategic direction, operational expertise and a wide exposure to the European markets. In 2013, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) assigned 723 QO as the IATA code. Phillip said presently, due to the lack of freighter aircraft in the country, the express and cargo industry is largely dependent on the belly space of passenger airlines, which is not conducive to timely critical shipments or movement of dangerous goods. Quikjet’s expertise and focus lie in providing airport-to-airport connectivity for cargo charters as well as scheduled operators.
Cost-effective customized solutions
The freighter operator offers a host of cost-effective, safe and customized air cargo solutions, tailor-made to suit the exact needs of every customer. It goes the extra mile in ensuring valuable goods are handled safely and reach the desired destination in a good condition. With a passion to serve the industry better and offer value-for-money air cargo services, Quikjet always looks for safe, innovative ways, newer technology and better quality in everything that they do. It provides critical air cargo solutions for diverse businesses and has the ability to move any air freight shipment including Dangerous Goods (DG), oversized cargo, odd sized cargo, high-value cargo and more. Backed by seamless support and logistical excellence, it provides services for integrators, e-commerce companies and other businesses that need to be ahead of their schedules.
As a neutral air cargo service provider, the company can design and provide specific flight schedules and network for customers who would like to establish their own supply chain. It has a team of specialists to customize solutions by identifying an appropriate aircraft, after assessing the clients’ overall requirement; Designing a specific network that balances optimal aircraft utilization, prioritizing coverage of key cities and appropriate timing; Planning a schedule in coordination with the client, ensuring they get the desired departure and arrival time, to suit their business requirements; and managing all the operational aspects of the freighter aircraft, crew maintenance and insurance, thus leaving clients free to focus on their business.
B737’s high reliability
The B737-400SF has superior operational efficiency and a highly reliable performance record. The B737-400SF is one of the most cost-effective air freighters, with specialized payload range capabilities that minimize customers’ fuel-related expenses. The B737-400SF is a short-to-medium-range aircraft with a payload capacity of nearly 11 pallets. Its sophisticated engineering makes it an air freighter that is easier to maintain and manage, while ensuring timely deliveries.
The company offers full charter services with tailor-made arrangements for specific business requirements. Personalized route and schedule planning, chartering the best suited aircraft and taking care of all safety issues warrant the safe and timely delivery of valuable cargo. It offers combined charter / scheduled freighter service allowing customers to benefit from the scheduled freighter network and with limited cargo capacities. The hybrid services offer to airlift cargo by chartering spare capacity on its scheduled freighter network.
Benefits various industries
The freighter charter benefits various industries, including those dealing with dangerous goods and hazardous materials by air; transportation of oil and gas drilling equipment; charter for shipping and transportation of odd-sized and oversized cargo; charter for transportation of perishable goods and live animals, from day old chicks to flowers; relief and military deployment; event and exhibition logistics; project logistics and just-in-time freight and aircraft on ground carriage.
Quikjet also undertakes turnkey ferry flights on behalf of aircraft owners, lessors and operators within India and overseas.
With the e-commerce retail market growing fast in India, there is need for scaling up logistics – of delivering goods across the length and breadth of the country. To sustain this growth, the e-commerce industry has been witnessing a scaling up in service orientation, with an emphasis on service level. This growth takes place while coping with the legacy of inadequate infrastructure and long hampered logistics inefficiency amongst other bottlenecks. Efficient logistics is the key for the growth of the e-commerce sector and is increasingly the key differentiator in terms of customer service and satisfaction. Air connectivity is a vital logistics link in enabling the e-commerce players in meeting these customer expectations.
Quikjet offers customised solutions for enabling quick and speedy deliveries, in line with customer expectations. According to a Netscribes study the Indian air cargo market would reach 2.8m tonnes by 2018, increasing at a compounded growth rate of 5.5% each year. It explained that growth would be supported by increasing trade, particularly in retail, pharmaceuticals and e-commerce, and aided by poor infrastructure in the port sector. The potential for players such as Quikjet is enormous in this scenario.
