Air cargo in flux after covid, war: Blue Dart
NEW DELHI : The air freight sector is navigating a transition at a time the world is recovering from the covid pandemic and the intensified Russia-Ukraine conflict, Blue Dart Express Ltd managing director Balfour Manuel said. Unpredictable demand from the US and Europe, compounded by domestic disturbances, has posed difficulties for India’s air cargo sector, Manuel said in an interview, adding the company’s outlook remains buoyant for a bounceback in freight volumes. “Air cargo trade from India is facing challenges due to demand fluctuations from the US and Europe, along with certain domestic disruptions.
However, we remain optimistic; there will be a resurgence in cargo volumes. As the world overcomes the challenges posed by the covid-19 pandemic and the escalated war, various sectors including air cargo are going through a transitional phase," Manuel said. As per the latest data from the Airports Authority of India, domestic air cargo in the June quarter fell 4.7% from a year earlier to 315,530 tonnes, while international air cargo rose 0.1% during the same period to 479,960 tonnes.
Blue Dart is an Indian logistics company providing courier delivery services. Blue Dart Aviation has a fleet of six Boeing 757 aircraft offering 74 route connections. The company recently acquired two Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which will increase the company’s capacity to 650 tonnes per day from 500 tonnes.
The Mumbai-based company remains optimistic about the outlook for domestic as well as international cargo. “Domestically, with the rise of e-commerce and changing consumer preferences, the demand for faster and more reliable deliveries is expected to continue driving the growth of domestic cargo shipments. For overseas cargo, as Indian
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