First Flight doubles capacity with two Boeing 737s

Bangalore: Air express firm, First Flight Couriers Ltd, is looking at doubling capacity of its aviation-based operations from the current 24 tonnes per day to around 56 tonnes per day, with the addition of two Boeing 737-300 aircraft. First Flight's move to expand its fleet size comes barely a year after inducting its own aircraft, and is expected to help the courier firm boost revenues by over 30% in the current fiscal.

First Flight's aviation business took off in the middle of last year with the induction of three ATP turbo-prop aircraft, with a capacity of eight tonnes each. The induction of the aircraft helped it achieve a growth of 10% in shipments, from 77 million units in 2005-2006 to 85 million units in 2006-2007.

With the new additions, the company will shift the turbo-props to feeder routes and deploy the larger Boeing aircraft on trunk routes, enabling the company to expand its reach. "Our aviation operation has not only helped us to grow in terms of revenue but our volumes have also picked up," said First Flight deputy-managing director, RK Saboo.

First Flight may also make a foray into the integrated logistics business, mainly because of the boom in the retail and manufacturing sectors in the country. According to RK Saboo, the business offers huge opportunities for Indian express firms.