Moving Precious Cargo
2016 has been very challenging for Quikjet. After signing a contract with an Indian consolidator for dedicated flights, operations have been irregular for multiple reasons, including technical, crew, regulatory and commercial. As we progress in our discussions with the integrators regarding the establishment ofa domestic network, we have been actively scouting for other opportunities to bridge the gap.
The recent demonetisation of high value currency notes by the Indian government has presented Quikjet with a unique opportunity for the movement of currency for the Reserve Bank of India. Along with the Indian airforce, Quikjet has been moving currency across the country from the mints located at Mysore, Salboni, Indore and Nashik. The precious cargo of freshlyminted currency notes comes in wooden boxes of 125kg each, with a completely fused exterior and intentionally have no grips to deter theft. Apart from the metros, most Indian airports don’t have the necessary ground handling equipment required for loading and offloading cargo from freighters so it became a Herculean task to handle these boxes manually. Quikjet teams were dispatched to the various airports to plan and supervise the loading and offloading of cargo. After several brainstorming sessions at project meetings, we came up with an innovative solution to use the Bulk Freight Loader (BFL) to offload and at some places even used a stepladder to load the cargo. Even though the process would take anywhere between four and six hours for each loading or offloading, the Quikjet team ensured that every flight departed on time and the cargo was delivered safely. This has opened a new window of opportunity and we are expecting to operate a lot more of these charters in the coming weeks, until the country tides over the shortage of currency.
Our client, the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private limited has greatly appreciated the reliable and safe service along with the customised solution that Quikjet was able to provide. As a result, the customer is evaluating the possibility of committing to a larger block of hours which will enable them to approve multiple charters simultaneously.
