Saudi Arabian Airlines: Introducing express cargo services

Saudi Arabian Airlines––the biggest cargo carrier in the Middle East has an extensive network, linking 25 domestic and more than 50 international cities in Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe and North America together. Saudi Arabian Airlines' Cargo combines modern technology with highly skilled human resources to provide service at its best to its customers in the ever-demanding freight industry. In addition, the carrier covers a large number of offline cities in North America, Europe, and Asia through interline partners and vast trucking services in Europe & North America, wherein Brussels and New York function as hubs for the carrier. The main bulk of the airlines' cargo capacity comes from the operation of four MD11 and one B747 freighter complimented by belly cargo in its large fleet of passenger aircraft.

The Saudi Arabian Airlines Cargo Automated Network helps in tracking cargo at every step to ensure safe and on-time delivery of valuable goods. Enclosed nose docking bays in Saudi Arabia –– designed to transfer loads directly from the freighters to climate-controlled warehouses –– protect the cargo from harmful climatic elements like the dust and heat.

Says Mohammed Al-Baiz (VP Cargo Sales & Services), "The airline's cargo traffic in 2001 declined by 8.7% as compared to 2000. However, the airline registered an increase in cargo traffic from Europe and USA to Saudi Arabia which increased by 3.1% and 7.0% respectively. Despite the recession in world economy, Saudi Arabian Airlines carried 242,000 tonnes of cargo and airmail in 2001." 
The airline plans to introduce its 'Express Cargo Services', which will help in providing time-definite cargo services in addition to servicing Hong Kong and China directly in the near future. The airline's Cargo Sales & Services Division has been accredited with the ISO 9001: 2000 certificate after extensive auditing carried out by Moody International. 
 

Italy supports supply chain in Middle East

Translogistique is a leading Canadian training provider in Logistics and Supply Chain Management in the Middle East. It now brings the benefits of technology from the industrial heartland of Milan, Italy, through a MBA program designed and developed by MIP (Politecnico di Milano) since 1979. MIP has contributed for almost 25 years to the development of the Italian managerial and entrepreneurial class. The Italian class of the MBA has been taught for over 20 years and the English chapter inherits its history and business culture.

The MIP MBA comprises of three tracks –– in new product & venture development, finance and operations. 

  DAS Air Cargo: Forging ahead  

DAS Air Cargo, the privately owned Ugandan airline, hasn’t had a chance to look back ever since its inception in 1983. Starting with a single Boeing 707 Freighter and ad-hoc flights between Europe and Africa, the carrier progressed to scheduled flights from London-Gatwick to West Africa, with more Boeings joining the fleet. Today, it stands as one of the giants in the aircargo industry in Africa having made a transition from Boeings to the magnificent wide-bodied DC-10-30Fs in 1995, a type most suitable for DAS Air to utilize the full volume of these planes. While DAS Air carries general cargo into Africa, its outbound shipments from Africa consists mainly of flowers and fresh produce. With the addition of AntonovAn-12s in its fleet, leased from other airlines, DAS Air is capable of serving additional destinations in Africa. With regional hubs as transit points at Entebbe, Dubai, London-Gatwick, Amsterdam, and Lagos, DAS Air is able to service the better part of Africa, Europe, Middle East 

Andrew Walters
Regional Manager
-Middle East
DAS Air Cargo

and the Indian subcontinent. Andrew Walters, Regional Manager-Middle East of DAS Air Cargo, who has been with the airline since 9 years, expresses his satisfaction at the growth of the airline over the years. DAS Air has recently acquired a fifth DC-10 freighter and hopes to acquire more in the near future. Attributing the success of DAS Air to a flexible way of working, which allows scope for instant decision-making, Walters says, “We at DAS Air anticipate changing seasons well in advance and adapt to the changing trends––a must if you are dealing with perishables.”

Planning for the approaching winter schedule of 2002, Walters anticipates new destinations and routes for DAS Air to the Middle East, Europe and West Africa primarily.

Since Africa is DAS Air’s main market for the U.A.E., Walters envisions a spurt in exports in the next decade as manufacturing industries spring up in Africa. Commenting on the tonnage uplifted and discharged from the Dubai International Airport, he says, “The figures speak for themselves. DAS Air ranks fifth amongst airlines in uplifting freight and stands sixth in discharging it, having a total of 12,763.83 tons to its credit in 2001.” DAS Air has recently been voted as the “Best Carrier to Africa” and has been rated as one of the top three carriers to the Middle East by Air Cargo News—an accolade that is inspiration enough for a small, privately owned airline against the big contenders.