With a geographical advantage to serve major international trade regions quickly and efficiently and a wide network of over 140 destinations, the company can reach two-thirds of the world’s population in just eight hours from its hub in Dubai. This has helped the Indian textile industry too
Emirates SkyCargo is the cargo division of the airline company Emirates which was established in 1985. Over the decades, it has grown rapidly to become one of the largest international cargo airlines in the world. Emirate SkyCargo connects and supports the global supply chain across six continents through its hub at Dubai International Airport (DXB). “Emirates SkyCargo offers cargo capacity on an all wide-body fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A 380 aircraft. With an average age of 5.7 years, our wide-bodied fleet of aircrafts is amongst the youngest in the world. Recently, at the Dubai Air Show in November 2021, we announced our roadmap for 2022-2024 for our freighter fleet,” informs Abdulla Al-Khallafi, CM (India and Nepal), while speaking about the fleet of Emirates SkyCargo in an exclusive chat.
“We have invested USD 1 billion for the acquisition of two new Boeing 777 freighter aircraft from Boeing as well as for the conversion of four Boeing 777-300 ER passenger aircraft into freighters by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI),” he adds. With respect to the network covered by the division, he mentions: “Located at Dubai, we have a geographical advantage to serve major international trade regions quickly and efficiently. With a wide network of over 140 destinations, we can reach two-thirds of the world’s population in just eight hours from our hub in Dubai.”
Industry-Specific Solutions
Elaborating on the industry-specific solutions for cargo transportation offered by Emirates SkyCargo, Abdulla Al-Khallafi says: “Cargo is our priority and we have developed many specialised services based on the specific industry vertical to streamline its safe and prompt delivery to ensure customer delight consistently. For the textile industry, we have vast experience in moving clothes and other apparel across the world.
India: A Key Market
According to Abdulla Al-Khallafi, being one of the largest exporters of perishables in the world, India is an extremely important market for Emirates SkyCargo. For example, during the pre-pandemic stage in 2019, Emirates SkyCargo transported more than 2,50,000 tonnes of cargo to and from India, out of which more than 1,80,000 tonnes were exports. Main exports included pharmaceuticals, perishables such as fruits and vegetables and fashion goods such as garments. Currently, Emirates SkyCargo operates to nine Indian cities – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.
“We have maintained continuous supply chain connectivity for a range of vital imports and exports for the Indian market during the pandemic. We have helped bring in vital supplies, including relief material free of charge during April and May in 2021 to help combat the pandemic. By continuing to facilitate exports of Indian commodities to global markets, we have also supported Indian businesses and exporters,” he explains. “In May 2021, Emirates SkyCargo launched a humanitarian air bridge between Dubai and India to transport urgent medical and relief items to support the Indian community to manage the pandemic situation at the time in the country. Supported by the International Humanitarian City and the WHO, we transported more than 100 tonnes of cargo free of charge within the first three weeks of the announcement of the air bridge,” he adds.
Strong Textile Connect
India is the second-largest manufacturer and exporter of textiles and apparels. India is particularly strong in segments like home textiles and apparels exported to the US and Europe and other countries worldwide. Does Emirates SkyCargo work closely with textile manufacturers in India? Does it offer any customised service to suit the specific needs of the fashion and apparel industry? Replying to the questions in the affirmative, Al-Khallafi mentions: “Yes, Emirates SkyCargo works closely with textile exporters and manufacturers. However, the bulk of garment exports normally move through ships and only a limited quantity of high-value and high demand or urgently required garments and apparel move through airfreight. This is true not just for India but for global markets as well. During January-February 2022, for example, Emirates SkyCargo helped export more than around 5,200 tonnes of garments and textiles from different regions across India.”
Edge over Competition
Listing out the reasons for companies in India to work with Emirates SkyCargo for their international logistic requirements despite the fact that there are many other global airlines and logistic companies providing similar services, Al-Khallafi comments: “Emirates SkyCargo has grown steadily to become the undisputed leader in air freight around the world. Our wide network of over 140 destinations with its hub in Dubai – the logistics hub of the world – provides great opportunity for businesses to expand their reach. Our modern fleet, experienced cargo personnel, unique capabilities for transportation, our ability to reach two-third of the world’s population within eight hours are all major reasons why we are a leader in the industry.”
“With a history of over 30 years in the Indian market, we understand the needs of Indian businesses quite well and develop our cargo solutions in line with our customers’ demands. In addition, Emirates SkyCargo offers its customers industry-leading services at its SkyCentral cargo facility in Dubai. This is one of the world’s largest air logistics hubs. Operating round-the-clock, our hub has state-of-the-art handling equipment and direct air-side access to guarantee faster recovery, ramp transfers and connections for our customers’ cargo. On an average, more than 2,60,000 pieces of cargo are processed at our Dubai hub each day,” he states.
India is expected to become a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025 with a significant focus on export of goods and services. Abdulla Al-Khallafi observes that Emirates SkyCargo is well-placed to leverage the emerging opportunities in the country. “Emirates SkyCargo currently connects India’s main exports – pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automotive parts, electronic items, engineering spares, perishables, garments – to more than 140 destinations, key partners and trading countries globally. By offering an unmatched level of network and facilities, Emirates SkyCargo has contributed positively to India’s growth story. We have invested in India’s growth opportunities, and given our sustained relationship with India, we are committed to further investing and expanding to extend our support to India’s ambitious growth targets,” he explains.
“As India’s economy grows exponentially, its export markets are expanding with international trade touching new heights. Emirates SkyCargo is well-equipped with a modern fleet, wide and unparalleled network and innovative facilities to enable Indian businesses to explore and develop new markets. As India and the UAE are looking to enter a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in 2022, trade potential between the two nations is expected to strengthen further. In this context, our recent investment of USD 1 billion to expand our freighter capacity will create value with superior capacity capabilities to cater to the needs of Indian businesses,” Al-Khallafi adds, signing off on a positive note.
Some of our specialised products include:
• Emirates Pharma: We offer a three-tiered solution that’s designed to move sensitive drugs, life-saving vaccines and complex pharmaceuticals without compromise. Emirates SkyCargo SkyPharma, our state-of-the-art GDP-certified pharmaceutical hub at Emirates SkyCargo SkyCentral, provides the core cool chain infrastructure.
• Emirates Fresh: Food and perishables are most often transported through air cargo. Sometimes, they travel across continents before reaching the end-customer. Emirates SkyCargo Fresh ensures that the taste, smell and texture are not compromised. Thanks to our integrated cool chain, expert personnel and temperature-controlled storage, customers get guaranteed freshness that they can touch, taste and feel.
• Emirates Safe: Emirates SkyCargo Safe is our solution to transporting some of the most fragile cargo in the world that requires elevated levels of protection from damage during their journey. Precious metals, stones, technical equipment and many other sensitive items transit across our network every day using Emirates SkyCargo Safe, which offers armoured transport, strong room storage, fortified containers with tamper-proof seals and round-the-clock security to keep the cargo safe.
• Emirates Charter: With decades of experience in operating charters across our extensive network, our teams can quickly source the right capacity, most efficient routing and suitable ground handling to meet a shipment’s dimensional and transit requirements.”
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“Cargo is our priority and we have developed many specialised services based on the specific industry vertical to streamline its safe and prompt delivery to ensure customer delight consistently. For the textile industry, we have vast experience in moving clothes and other apparel across the world.
– Abdulla Al-Khallafi