Silver lining on Covid cloud: Amid fewer passenger flights, cargo ops boost airline revenues

Where Covid-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions made 2020 the worst year for airlines in terms of loss of revenues, a forced leaning towards cargo operations for a steady revenue stream meant growth in the segment exceeding expectations for aviation industry stakeholders. Consider the following points:

* SpiceJet, which has a dedicated freighter fleet, saw revenues from cargo operations more than double to Rs 564.93 crore during April-September, from Rs 224.85 crore in the same period last year.

* India’s largest airline IndiGo, which is operating less than half of the capacity it was operating with last year, is carrying more cargo than it did at 100 per cent capacity last year.