Early this month, SpiceJet operated a cargo-on-seat flight carrying 11 tonnes of essential supplies in the passenger cabin between Delhi and Chennai. On the same day, the Boeing 737 NG passenger aircraft which was solely used for cargo transportation operated on three more routes - Chennai to Surat, Surat to Chennai, and Chennai to Mumbai.

SpiceJet conducted this double-act after seeking required approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. SpiceJet is incidentally the only scheduled carrier in the country which operates a dedicated freight business with the brand name SpiceXpress.

“Today for the first time in the country, we used a passenger aircraft to transport cargo where in addition to the belly space the passenger cabin was used to safely carry essential supplies,” airline’s chairman Ajay Singh commented.

Explaining the operational tweaking to convert a passenger plane to a complete cargo carrier, the airline maintained that “special seat covers made from flame-proof material were used to cover the seats and the cargo on the seat was secured with restraints.” Furthermore, to ensure optimum utilisation of space, the overhead bins were also used.

“Using passenger aircraft to ferry cargo has happened in the past too, but mainly by the national carrier. Nevertheless, this is an apt moment for such initiatives. When most other means of transportation are in a disarray, air cargo offers a controlled environment to deliver goods,” says Harsh Vardhan, Former CEO, Vayudoot, and an aviation expert.

According to official freight data, air cargo traffic has expanded manifold over the past month.

SpiceJet with its dedicated fleet of five freighters has operated 579 cargo flights (208 international) carrying 4,246 tonnes of cargo. Blue Dart with 207 cargo flights has ferried 3,399 tons in the same period (nine international flights) while  Indigo operated 48 cargo flights (15 international) during 3-25 April carrying around 167 tons of cargo.

“In the international sector, a cargo air-bridge was established with East Asia for transportation of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and Covid-19 relief material. The quantity of medical cargo brought in by Air India is 554 tonnes till 25 April 2020,” a Civil Aviation Ministry release specified.

The moot question now is: in these desperate times, are the airlines looking at hauling cargo to survive? It could be a means to stay afloat in choppy waters. "A passenger carrier with cargo in its belly space can only result in small gains. This is an ancillary earning source in regular times,” Vardhan commented.