The Hindu Business Line : IA Cargo on a high

Indian Airline's per-day cargo carriage has been rising over the last few months. The per-day cargo carriage in May averaged around 325 tonnes and peaked over 390 tonnes in August. The airline offers special, competitive and different rates for time-and cost-sensitive shippers.

THE recent initiatives taken by Indian Airlines (IA) to increase its cargo throughput seems to be taking off. While in 2003-04, the per-day cargo carried by the airline crossed 400 tonnes in just about 15 days, during the first five months of 2004-05 not only has per-day cargo carriage crossed 400 tonnes on more than 21 days but, more hearteningly, exceeded 500 tonnes on quite a few days. Incidentally, on August 27 the airline carried 528 tonnes of cargo, the highest ever in a single day.

Indian Airline's per-day cargo carriage has been rising over the last few months. While the per-day cargo carriage in May averaged around 325 tonnes, it touched 350 tonnes per day in July and peaked over 390 tonnes in August. Also the increase in the cargo lifted in May and August were substantially higher than in corresponding months last year. Thus, while in May last year the airline carried around 305 tonnes, it was some 330 tonnes in July and a shade lower in August.

"In the recent past, IA's daily cargo carriage has touched the highest level in the five-decade-long history of the airline. The increase in the daily cargo carriage was neither on account of the relief material that it carried and not because of the truckers strike," the airlines Director, Cargo, Ms Anita Khurana, told Business Line.

As part of its effort to be proactive, the airline recently started transporting Alphonso mangoes from Ratnagiri and Pune in Maharashtra to different parts of the country — a challenging task considering that the distributors and transporters have well-leveraged the traditional road and rail transportation networks.

Besides the competitive rates offered by the airline, interaction of IA staff with the fruit distributors saw the airline carry about 5,000 kg of mangoes from May onwards to various destinations on the airline's network including Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi, Nagpur and Ahmedabad. IA Cargo air freights goods, couriers, newspapers and mail to over 58 domestic cities and 17 destinations in West Asia, South-East Asia and the countries of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The airline offers special, competitive rates for bulk quantities, magazines, electronic goods, fruits, auto parts, vaccines, garments and seafood besides export goods from inland cargo complexes.

Besides, IA Cargo also offers different rates for time- and rate-sensitive shippers. This allows time-sensitive shippers to move their cargo on flights of their choice. Similarly, a rate-sensitive shipper can avail himself of higher discounts by opting for a different flight.

In addition, IA officials claim that the ISO certification awarded to IA Cargo also gives a higher level of comfort to the shippers especially those sending goods abroad. The IA Cargo's Web site (www.ia-cargo.com) offers a variety of information for cargo agents. A customer can also check the rates based on specific needs apart from locating the nearest IA-approved cargo agent.

IA Cargo, according to its officials, is also formulating innovative schemes to help customers.