Emirates SkyCargo has announced that it has met a record achievement of over US $1 billion in revenue and 1 million tonnes of cargo with the announcement of this year’s annual financial results for 2005-06 fiscal year.
The announcement is a new record for Emirates SkyCargo: one million tonnes of cargo represents an increase of more than 180,000 tonnes, or 21.5 per cent from last year’s 838,400 tonnes. The figures reflect strong growth from across the network. The cargo division’s revenue of Dhs 4.5 billion ($1.2 billion) was Dhs 1 billion ($274 million) or 29.2 per cent higher than the year before, and contributed 21.2 per cent to the airline’s transport revenue.
Commenting on the results, Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airlines said: “Meeting the milestone of US $1 billion and 1 million tonnes is a direct reflection of our ability to meet the demands of our discerning customers, provide the necessary capacity for our growing network, and stand behind our reputation for delivery on a very high standard of service. Our achievement was made despite a host of challenges faced by the aviation industry last year, which makes us particularly proud.”
Emirates SkyCargo’s region-wise performance clearly indicated the dominance of the Asia-Pacific region, which contributed 41.6 per cent of the revenue; while Europe and Americas contributed 19.3 per cent; the Indian Sub-continent 14.6 per cent; and the Middle East & Africa 24.5 per cent.
New fleet acquisitions for the carrier in the last financial year have also included four freighters: one Boeing 747-400F and three A310-300Fs. The fleet now includes 92 aircraft: bellyhold capacity in 83 wide-bodied passenger jets and nine freighters (three A310-300Fs, five Boeing 747-400Fs and one 747-200F). With expanded capacity, the carrier is well-positioned to accommodate the needs of its planned expansion in the coming year.
Currently, Emirates SkyCargo freighters operate to 26 destinations. The carrier’s fleet services 83 destinations in 57 countries in Europe, North America, Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the Far East.
Changes at the hub will also take place in the coming year with December 2006 marking the anticipated completion of the new Cargo Mega Terminal. This facility will have a capacity to handle 1.6 million tonnes- a necessary development to improve capacity of the current facility, which currently handles 817,957 tonnes.
Additionally, Emirates SkyCargo has completed the development of its New Generation SkyChain, an automated central cargo reservation and business management application which enhances logistics efficiency, increases productivity and provides accurate information though seamless communication with customers and service providers.
“With these exciting developments and with the new Jebel Ali Airport and Logistics City on the way, we anticipate that the next year will be very busy and productive for Emirates SkyCargo. The projections for world cargo growth are healthy- this year anticipated to be 5 or 6 per cent. We anticipate a strong year ahead,” added Clark.
The strong financial start is reflected by a number of awards already secured by the airline this year. In 2006, the carrier has been awarded ‘Best Cargo Airline to the Middle East’ (18th year running), ‘Best Cargo Airline to the Far East’ (2nd year running), and ‘Best Cargo Airline to Australia’, at the prestigious Cargo Airline of the Year Awards 2006 from Air Cargo News. It was also named top carrier on the German market in the Aircargo Performance Study and secured 'Best Air Cargo Carrier – Middle East’ (4th year running) at the Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards (AFSCA) from Cargo News Asia.
© 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
