exclusive
Delivering
as promised
T
he story and success of Emirates Airline is so intertwined with the incredible development and
the envious growth of Dubai as a cosmopolitan city that keeps setting new global benchmarks
in urban development and living. The airline has achieved phenomenal growth in the three
decades that it has been in operation. Emirates maintained its rapid growth momentum despite
geopolitical unrest in the region, volatile global economies and in a prolonged low oil price scenario.
From what started off as a two wet-leased aircraft from Pakistan International Airlines in 1985 and flying
to Karachi, New Delhi and Bombay, it’s been a phenomenal journey for Emirates in the last 31 years. The
growth has been extraordinary even for the cargo operations of the airline.
“From the moment that Emirates first took to the air, we saw the tremendous opportunities presented by
transport and distribution as a whole. We determined from the start that cargo would be an integral part of
our overall operation and grow hand-in-hand with our passenger airline business,” writes Sheikh Ahmed bin
Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.
Emirates SkyCargo’s route network connect cargo customers to over 150 cities in 82 countries on six
continents and operate in many of the world’s fastest developing markets, including 27 gateways in Africa,
18 in South Asia, 16 in the Middle East, 24 in the Far East, 7 in Australasia, 41 in Europe and 20 in North
and South America. The cargo hold capacity comprises Emirates’ fleet of over 245 aircraft, including 15
freighters – 13 Boeing 777-Fs and two B747-400ERFs.
In the 2015-16 financial year, Emirates SkyCargo recorded a 6 percent increase in airfreight and uplifted
2.5 million tonnes of cargo. It contributed 14 percent to the airline’s total transport revenue in the same
year, Emirates SkyCargo continues to play an integral role in the company’s expanding operations.
In an exclusive interview to The STAT Trade Times, Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice
President for Cargo, speaks to Reji John about creating value for its customers, innovating to offer the
best solutions and investing in world class air cargo facilities.
12
| OCTOBER 2016
www.stattimes.com