Two more freighters for India Post

CHENNAI/ MUMBAI: Letters from Chennai to other metros would soon be delivered the very next day, as India Post has acquired two airplanes. From the first week of July, two aircraft bearing the logo of India Post will take off from Chennai and Mumbai. These freighters have been leased from Air India by India Post, under the ministry of communications, so that your stamped mails, sealed parcels and other expressions of sentiment can get to their destination faster than ever before. "We have been dependent on private airlines and connection flights all these years. The two dedicated aircraft will connect all metros, speeding up delivery of even ordinary mails. Now, a letter from Chennai takes up to three days to reach Delhi. Our aim is to deliver it the very next day," T Murthy, postmaster general, Tamil Nadu circle told TOI. The planes, each with a capacity of 15 tonnes, will connect cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Surat and Nagpur. "The aim is to have a more reliable service,'' says Manjula Parashar, chief general manager, mail business, at the postal directorate in Delhi. For this purpose, two of Air India's old Boeing 737-200s, have been converted into freighters, says Jitendra Bhargava, spokesperson of Air India. The cue for launching this service came from the success of India Post's first such aircraft which flies everything from handicrafts to foodgrain on the Kolkata-Guwahati route. As a result of this aircraft, which was launched in August 2007, birthday gifts reached the same day, businesses prospered, and the seven North Eastern sisters were brought that much closer to mainstream India. The services of this existing aircraft will be extended from next month to cover Delhi and Nagpur. Three citiesMumbai, Chennai and Kolkata will act as hubs for overnight transmission of mail. Every night before the freighters leave their centres at around 11:30 pm, all mail from nearby cities will reach them. The three Boeings will then converge at Nagpur and exchange palettes (metal sheets which carry mails sorted according to destination cities). The aircraft will then fly back with their respective palettes. When they touch down at their centres early next morning, local distribution services like trucks, trains and other airlines will take over. Dry runs for these aircraft will begin later this week. (Source : Times of India)