Jet Airways shelves JV plan for cargo unit

Mumbai: Jet Airways India has reportedly scrapped a plan to form a joint venture (JV) for its proposed cargo airline. The company is learnt to be considering setting up its own air-cargo unit with an investment of up to US$15mn.
Talks with Deutsche Lufthansa on forming a cargo JV didn't work out, Chief Commercial Officer Sudheer Raghavan was quoted as saying in Shanghai today. The carrier expects to begin flying freighters by the middle of next year, he added.
Jet's cargo unit will be equipped with at least three leased Boeing 737 passenger planes converted into freighters, Raghavan said. The planes will be taken from JetLite, the airline's low-cost unit. The carrier needs to get permission to transform the planes from the aircraft owners, he said.
The company made its maiden flight to Shanghai from Mumbai. The service, the carrier's first to China, continues onto San Francisco. Jet plans to start more routes between China and India, to possibly include flights to Beijing and Guangzhou, Raghavan said.
16/06/08 India Infoline.com

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Categories: Cargo Jun 2008, Foreign Jun 2008, Jet Airways Jun 2008