New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS): In a boost for Indias shrimp farmers, budget carrier SpiceJet has launched a dedicated freighter services from Chennai and Vishakhapatnam to Surat and Kolkata.

According to the airline, the first flight was operated on Tuesday from Chennai International Airport ferrying a consignment of shrimp produce to Vishakhapatnam and Surat.

"SpiceXpress, the dedicated air cargo arm of SpiceJet, will deploy its Boeing 737 freighter on these routes with an approximate carrying capacity of 21 tonnes," the airline said in a statement.

"With the launch of the new services, SpiceXpress will be the first to connect the aforesaid cities through a freighter route."

At present, marine cultivation forms a crucial part of Indian agriculture especially for coastal states.

India is the largest shrimp exporter to the US.

The shrimp season in India starts from mid-February and continues until mid-June, during this period, shrimp seeds are sent from major production centres such as Chennai, Pondicherry and Vishakhapatnam to West Bengal and Gujarat for further farming and breeding.

"The new freighter service offerings by SpiceJet will enhance logistics and connectivity, thus offering a major boost to shrimp farming in India," the statement said.

Currently, SpiceJet is the country's largest regional player operating 49 daily flights under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN.