Emirates SkyCargo has taken the coveted top spot in the annual Air Cargo Excellence survey, advancing from third place last year and beating cargo heavyweights Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines, who finished second and third respectively.

The survey, conducted by US-based publication Air Cargo World, asks customers to evaluate each carrier in four categories ' value, IT, customer service and performance.

Ram Menen, Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo said, 'To come out on top of the Air Cargo Excellence survey is an honor for Emirates SkyCargo, because we are all judged by users of our services. This accolade is a tremendous achievement for all of our staff.' He added, 'Emirates SkyCargo invested significantly in our facilities in 2008, enabling us to provide an even better service to our customers.'

In the value category, judged on the competitiveness of the carrier's rates and its value-added programs, Emirates SkyCargo scored a full six points ahead of second place, the biggest gap in any of the categories.

Emirates was also recognized highly in the IT category in regard to the SkyChain system that Emirates tailors specifically to the requirements of each customer. SkyChain 3.0 was recently launched throughout the airline's operations, replacing Skylog that was used as the ground handling system by Emirates SkyCargo.

Since it launched the e-freight initiative in November, Emirates SkyCargo has become the leading airline worldwide in terms of the number of e-freight consignments carried each week. It is estimated that e-freight saves the industry US $4.9 billion annually through reduced inventories and document processing cost savings.

The categories of customer service and performance were adjudicated on how carriers fulfill contractual agreements, accomplish scheduled transit times, handle claims with expedience, solve problems in a prompt and courteous manner, and, of course, a professional and knowledgeable sales force.

The carrier's new hub, the 1.2m-ton-per-year capacity Cargo Mega Terminal, is acknowledged by the industry as one of the most modern and efficient cargo terminals in the world. Following its opening in February 2008, Emirates SkyCargo's service failure rates were reduced to almost zero.