The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Crescent Cargo Services to begin Vizag-Kolkata flight soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 16, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Crescent Cargo Services to begin Vizag-Kolkata flight soon

J Balaji

Lack of refrigeration is the main problem in surface transport

Now, Fokker F 50 flights are available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
Eight tonnes of cargo has been airlifted since the operation began

VISAKHAPATNAM: Vizag’s first air cargo provider – Chennai-based Crescent Air Cargo Services Private Limited, would soon be introducing Vizag-Kolkata flight, most probably by the end of this month, as there is encouraging response for the recently introduced Chennai-Visakhapatnam-Channai Fokker F 50 freight aircraft.

At present, the service is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to Chennai. As many as eight tonnes of cargo, mainly shrimp seeds, tuna fishes, garments, pharmaceutical products and automobile parts have been airlifted since the operation began on November 28. Crescent’s Assistant Manager Mohammed (Commercial) Rafi told The Hindu that as the flight, which leaves Vizag at 2.30 p.m. reaches Chennai within 90 minutes and thereafter the cargo, particularly tuna fishes, are airlifted to Japan and other South Eastern countries by Singapore Airlines or Thai Airways flights, the marine industries were satisfied that they get good price from the overseas market as the products reach the ultimate destination fresh and fast.

Hitherto the marine cargo was sent to Chennai either by road or rail.

Disadvantage

As travel to Chennai by road or rails takes a minimum 13 hours, the entrepreneurs incur loss as at least 50 shrimp seeds were found dead on reaching the destination, mainly Kochi. Another disadvantage is lack of effective refrigeration facility in surface transport as the tuna fish had to be stored in temperatures ranging between zero and minus two.

Since the night landing facility is available here, the company plans to have evening operations and also overnight parking of their flight in the city airport in the days to come.

Two more Fokker F 50 flights which the company plans to buy by March 2008, would also be deployed to provide more freight connectivity to the city on a par with other metros.

The aircraft, with the capacity of seven tonnes, mostly brings general cargo and couriers to Vizag.

The F 50, a small turbo powered propeller aircraft of the Dutch-based company Frans Swarttouw, could fly up to 2,000 km. non-stop with the maximum speed of 530 km. per hour. It is operated by two crew - a pilot and a co-pilot.

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