At the 2007 FIATA World Congress being held in Dubai, Emirates SkyCargo highlighted the future of global airfreight and called for one common voice across the industry to unify all the elements of the supply and logistics chain.
Ram Menen, Emirates' Divisional Senior Vice President Cargo spoke at the first session on the second day, drawing attention to the world air cargo growth predicted to triple in the next 20 years and growth regions of the world, particularly India and China.
Mr. Menen said: 'As Asia, and particularly countries such as India and China, continues to grow, its middle class is acquiring more purchasing power. Air cargo's dependence on US consumers will decrease and global trade lanes are set to change.'
He touched upon the issues of liberalization, the progress of e-freight initiatives in the industry, the problems surrounding air cargo security, the challenges of environmental barriers and high fuel costs that had touched US$90 per barrel on the previous day.
Mr. Menen added that Emirates SkyCargo is fully e-freight compliant with the implementation of its futuristic SkyChain system. He expected the UAE and Emirates to be part of the second wave of countries and airlines that will participate in IATA's e-freight pilot project.
He ended his presentation by saying 'All the players within the supply chain are peas of the same pod. It is very important that we have a common voice in dealing with the challenges that lie ahead.'
Emirates SkyCargo, an official sponsor of the 2007 FIATA World Congress, had a sizeable stand at the exhibition and attracted huge interest among local and international industry players.
Prakash Nair, Emirates' Manager Network Cargo Sales Development and a member of the Dubai Host Committee for the event said: 'It was an impressive event all around, and Emirates SkyCargo certainly was able to contribute to and benefit from the open discussions, networking opportunities and the high-quality of the presentations. As an opportunity to showcase Emirates SkyCargo to a wider industry audience locally, regionally and internationally, it has proved unbeatable. Decision-makers and players from the entire supply chain industry gathered in an atmosphere of solidarity to understand and tackle future challenges.'
Emirates SkyCargo's SkyChain cargo management system is a comprehensive end-to-end IT cargo management system, which offers a wealth of advantages over existing cargo systems. SkyChain substantially improves business efficiencies across the air freight life cycle and provides a flexible and adaptable technology platform for all future developments driven by the cargo division's business needs.
The Emirates SkyCargo Centre in Dubai provides the division with one of the most modern and efficient facilities in the world. The Cargo Mega Terminal that can handle up to 1.2 million tonnes per annum, will ease the capacity crunch and propel Emirates SkyCargo's phenomenal and planned growth.
