Blue Dart to set up 57 new facilities across the country

Chennai: Blue Dart Express, the domestic air express, courier and package distribution major, has said that it is setting up 57 new facilities across the country at a cost of Rs22 crore. Nearly half its planned infrastructure expansion for the year will come up in the south of the country.

According to Anil Khanna, managing director, nearly 23 of the 57 facilities, coming up at a cost of Rs22 crore, would be located in the south of the country.

Of the 23 new facilities, Khanna said, Chennai alone will get six as the city has emerged as a major hub with the growth of automobile, telecommunication, information technology and banking and financial services. He also mentioned that Blue Dart would also operate a direct ground run between Chennai and Kolkata.

According to Ms Tulsi N. Mirchandaney, senior vice-president, marketing & projects, the company is also planning additional air capacities and would induct a Boeing 757 by the year-end to add to its fleet of seven Boeings. The company's aircraft fleet is now operating with a load factor of 80-85 per cent.

Blue Dart Aviation is headquartered at Chennai.

For the year ended December 31, 2006, the company reported a profit after tax of Rs50.2 crore, on an income of Rs668 crore.