Blue Dart, the DHL Express Indian subsidiary, may launch international cargo flights as part of itsongoing network expansion that is due to include 120 new facilities this year.
Its airline operation, Blue Dart Aviation, is considering starting day-time flights tointernational destinations using its fleet of four B737s and three B757s. These currently fly onlydomestic routes at night and are idle during the day. Destinations could include South Asia andSouth-East Asia.
Anil Khanna, MD, Blue Dart Express, told Indian newspaper DNA: “We are working closely withDHL global aviation group to see whether our aircraft can be leveraged for internationaloperations. As part of our business expansion, we keep evaluating all options and if we find thatit makes commercial sense and can be operationally put together, we will explore it.”
Blue Dart Aviation this month named Tulsi Mirchandaney, previously Blue Dart Express head ofmarketing, as its new managing director in place of Niteen Gupte.
Meanwhile, the Financial Express newspaper reported that Blue Dart plans to extend itspresent network of 257 locations, including hubs, depots and service centres, with a further 120facilities this year.
Khanna told the newspaper: “Our company is investing Rs 10 billion (EUR 167 million) in thenext five years over a short to medium term in air infrastructure, aircraft, ramping up of groundinfrastructure with state-of-the art facilities, transit hubs and for hi-tech material handlingequipment.” The company plans to spend more than EUR 40 million this year on air and groundinfrastructure, technology and material handling, he added.
