style=”FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB”>The Rs 10million “Integrated Superhub” in Chennai, which was inaugurated this week, covers 13,540 sq.ft.,has handling capacity of 100 tonnes and employs 113 people. Located at the airport’s formerinternational terminal and close to the cargo terminal, the superhub has airside and landsideaccess, modern handling equipment and the latest x-ray machines for security checks.
style=”FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB”>”Chennai hasemerged as the preferred destination for IT and back-end operations of banks and othermultinationals. The past decade has witnessed manufacturing start-ups locating here in a big way.This has paved the way for manifold growth in package volumes,” said Malcolm Monteiro, Blue DartExpress managing director, at the inauguration. In 2005, the express firm handled over 2.8 millionshipments in Chennai. “The benefits of an air-city side integrated hub give Blue Dart a cuttingedge in the express market for quick and seamless retrieval and dispatch of inbound and outboundloads,” he added.
style=”FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB”>Monteiro alsoannounced that Chennai-based Blue Dart Aviation, which flies for the express firm on an ACMI basis,will add two B757 freighters to its fleet of five B737 freighters by the middle of the year. “Withthis addition, Blue Dart will be the only player to operate a Boeing 757 in the domestic skies. Theinduction will help us handle 250 tonnes per night as against the current level of 166 tonnes,” hepointed out. Blue Dart Aviation currently operates 39 domestic nightly routes. Hyderabad will beadded to the network by June.
style=”FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB”>Blue DartExpress, which recently opened a superhub in Bangalore, is putting a strong focus on expanding itsnetwork in southern India. “The South is a critical region for us as it accounts for 35% of ouroverall revenue,” Monteiro said. The company will open 14 of its 45 planned new facilities insouthern India. It currently has 217 locations across the country.
