The Hindu : National : Postal Department to launch cargo service to North-East

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Friday, Aug 24, 2007
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Postal Department to launch cargo service to North-East

Sandeep Joshi

NEW DELHI: The Department of Posts on Thursday said it had leased an aircraft from domestic carrier Indian to carry mails, parcels and other articles to North-East. “The first cargo service of India Post will be formally launched from Kolkata on August 29 and the first flight will be received by Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology A. Raja and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel at Guwahati,” said Secretary, Department of Posts, I.M.G. Khan.The new initiative would help the department in improving its efficiency by ensuring timely delivery of mail and other articles to the North-Eastern States, Mr. Khan said, adding that the dedicated freighter aircraft leased from Indian would also help exporters and other people in delivering goods and other articles.

“We have spent Rs. 12 crore, including the lease amount, for preparing the Indian Boeing 737-200 to take on the new role of a freighter dedicated aircraft capable of carrying 15 tonnes at a time. Kolkata will service as the regional hub for the service, while a daily flight will operate on the Kolkata-Guwahati-Imphal-Agartala route,” he added.Mr. Khan said if the experiment proved successful, they would hire more freighter aircrafts to service other parts of country.

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