Blue Dart launches aviation hub in Hyd

Blue Dart Express Limited, south Asia's largest air express, courier and logistics company, announced the launch of its aviation hub at Hyderabad. This is the sixth aviation hub of the company after Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata.

Addressing a press conference, Gopa Kumar, vice-president (south) of Blue Dart, said: "South India is the largest region and forms a key market for the company. As Hyderabad, in the last couple of years, has been doing well as a centre of business importance, Blue Dart decided to open a hub in the city."

The new aviation hub will be connected to the Blue Dart network by its recently acquired Boeing 737 freighter, the fourth aircraft in the company's fleet. The flight would begin operations from May 17.

The new aircraft will add 14 routes and an additional 60 tonnes per night to Blue Dart's network, enhancing its capacity to 180 tonnes from 120 tonnes. Blue Dart's integrated air and ground facilities will also have capabilities to facilitate transshipment of bonded cargo.

Blue Dart handled 36.4 million domestic packages and 0.5 million international packages. The company for the financial year 2003-04 had a turnover of Rs 355 crore and its net profit increased by 26 per cent to Rs 26.48 crore. Kumar, said that Hyderabad accounted for about 10 to 12 per cent of the total 30 per cent of the revenue from South India.

Kumar said that the hub at Hyderabad would handle over 17 tonnes and about 13,000 shipments in a day. Blue Dart, which has about 38 per cent market share, plans to invest about Rs 50 crore this year on infrastructure development. The company also plans to add another aircraft to its fleet during the course of this year.