Nagpur emerging as central air cargo hub

The pioneer of low-cost airlines in India, Captain Gopinath, has forayed into domestic express cargo operations with Nagpur as its central node. Deccan Cargo and Express Logistics Pvt Ltd, that runs Deccan 360, has promised a fast and reliable country-wide small parcels service that would ‘revolutionise’ the sector and fuel growth in the country’s smaller towns.

Operations will see 300 tons of cargo — equivalent to India’s current moving capacity — delivered to 50 cities overnight. Eight freighters, backed by a fleet of 300 trucks and 850 vehicles, have been deployed nationwide, linking the central hub at Nagpur to about 15 airports. Eight airports, including metros, will be the surface hubs.

With 60 warehousing hubs and as many service providers as its franchisees, the company is offering three main services — priority, premium and economy — at competitive prices.  “Freighters will come to Nagpur, where the cargo will be offloaded, segregated and then reloaded in other freighters headed for different destinations,” said an operations employee.

The thrust, company CEO Jude Fonseka said, will be on cargo with “high shelf price and low shelf life”. With Deccan 360-Express and Priority, the company will deliver door-to-door cargo on the next business day. The Rs90-crore central hub will be spread over 50 acres at Nagpur airport. A company release also said that a MoU has been signed with the GMR group for setting up express cargo operating facilities at New Delhi and Hyderabad airports. 

India Post and Air India will also be making Nagpur a hub for their air cargo operations in the near future, Patel said.