Air India mulls inducting freighters to scale up its cargo business

Air India does not currently have any freighters, unlike IndiGo and SpiceJet; all the cargo it transports is carried in the belly space of its passenger planes

Air India is looking to scale up its cargo business, and is exploring the possibility of inducting freighters, in a bid to gain market share. The Tata Sons-owned airline, which boasts a 118-plane strong fleet, recently ordered 470 aircraft. Unlike IndiGo and SpiceJet, it doesn't possess any freighters — planes that purely fly cargo. It transports freight in the belly space of its Boeing and Airbus passenger aircraft.

“We are exploring the possibility of inducting freighter capacity into the network, both directly and in collaboration with partners,” Air India said in an emailed response, adding that cargo revenue is “expected