BANGALORE: Air India (AI) has big plans for expansion in the freight traffic that is largely under the domain of international carriers.

AI will introduce two freight carriers in June-July to Frankfurt, Paris and Shanghai from Bangalore and Mumbai to begin with.

AI Chairman and Managing Director V. Thulasidas said the carrier would soon have a fleet of at least 15 dedicated freight carriers, including eight A 310s, two Boeing 747-300s and five Boeing 737-200s, besides an option to take two Boeing 747-400s on lease.

Despite India's open-sky policy for cargo transport, AI has failed to exploit the situation. "It is our fault," he said.

Mr. Thulasidas was speaking to reporters after laying the foundation for the Cargo Handling Facility, a 50:50 joint venture of AI and the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS), at the Bangalore International Airport.

"There will be a fleet of cargo craft, both short-haul (for domestic needs) and medium-haul (for European markets). We can also have long-haul aircraft (for the U.S. market)," he said. After the merger of AI and Indian Airlines, an integrated approach would be adopted, Mr. Thulasidas said.

AI, he said, hoped to raise its market share in the international cargo traffic from 10 per cent to 30 per cent after deploying 15 dedicated aircraft.

Two A 310s had already been despatched to Germany for configuration from passenger craft to cargo craft and six more would follow, the CMD said.

With the new service, AI should improve its share of international cargo from the present 125 tonnes a month (of the total 3,500 tonnes) to at least 300 tonnes from Bangalore, he added.

Mr. Thulasidas said AI's joint venture with SATS would continue for the ground handling facility at the Hyderabad International Airport too.

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