abil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President Cargo, walks into the meeting room atop the carrier’s busy hub at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
The place is neat, organized, and with everything in place; there are no loose ends.
     Emirates, which apparently rules the sky, also casts its spell down on the ground in its air cargo transfer facilities. They are precise, busy, and well organized. Even the coffee break room has six different flavor choices for the morning break.
     It is a mid-Autumn day, bright and blustery, and Mr. Sultan—who is tall and distinguished—gives us an hour in between customer calls and a jam-packed whirlwind visit to Gotham, a key Emirates address.
     It has been just five months since Ram Menen put down his sword and retired, and the first words on record from Nabil Sultan are thanks “for what Ram built and the amazing team spirit at SkyCargo.”
     Nabil is the new face of leadership at SkyCargo.
     Born in Dubai, and educated in Dubai and the United States, Nabil holds a Bachelor of Computer Science and Management Information Systems from the University of Portland, Oregon.
     Nabil smiles and admits loving “every day it rained in Portland after a life in the desert.”
     Nabil Sultan looks comfortable in his clothes and apparently is enjoying the ride of his life.
     That said, Mr. Sultan, who is bright, in touch, with slightly graying hair and a straight and level gaze, leaves no doubt when he says softly:
     “Now we will carry things further.”


     “I was immediately aware and surprised at the overwhelming amount of paper it takes to move air cargo.
     “Especially coming out of the passenger end of the business, where the migration from paper has been swift and complete in many aspects of that business.
     “No doubt the complexity of the air cargo industry can only be better served by streamlining processes, taking cost out, and adding value for the customer.
     “But much can be realized by making every effort toward a paperless environment.
     “Of course I learned at several smaller stations coming up in this business, in many respects when it comes to change and dealing with government agencies and bureaucracy, we still have a long way to go.
     “My take is that we have to change the cargo mindset with respect to paper.
     “When that happens, the mountains of documents will go away.”


     “In many ways,” Mr. Sultan says, “no matter how you approach it, Emirates is an inspiring airline.
     “We offer the trading community a very efficient global resource that constantly translates into direct value to the customer.”
     Although he is new to air cargo, Nabil knows full well how to airline.
     He began his career with Emirates in 1990 in the IT department, and three years later joined the company’s management training program in the commercial department.
     “I liked the IT end of the business and knew IT full well, but simply prefer working with people.
     “I was able to get into management training at EK at the suggestion of a friend, and am forever grateful that happened.”
     Nabil notes that for most of his career at the carrier, he has worked his way up, moving from post to post and always accepting new challenges and more responsibilities in various management and leadership roles, both within and outside the UAE.
     Nabil has served as Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations West Asia and Indian Ocean; Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Gulf, Middle East and Iran; and Senior Vice-President Operations for Europe.
     In 2009, Nabil was promoted to Divisional Senior Vice President, Revenue Optimization and Distribution (Passenger) for the carrier.
     “Revenue optimization is a fascinating endeavor and made even more so at Emirates.
     “In fact, year to year as we added destinations and aircraft, the activity and growth added up to creating a whole new airline every 12 months.”


     “I’m excited by the opportunity to further develop and expand the cargo division, to go into uncharted territory and deepen our presence in Latin America, Africa, northern Africa, and elsewhere, building an ever expanding business.
     “Emirates SkyCargo will continue to grow our network, provide solid uplift, generate volume, and deliver the best value for money available anywhere.”
     Nabil Sultan is also interested in partnerships and has especially been impressed by the cooperation that has developed great results for Qantas and Emirates.
     “The Qantas partnership is unique, seamless, and has enhanced value for each of our airlines and for the public as well.
     “We enjoy domestic openings in Australia, and Qantas has benefitted from our global system as well.
     “I expect that based on our success this activity will widen with others as time goes on.”


     Although he expects to be on the road visiting stations for some time, in addition to being out on the hustings, greeting customers as well, Nabil Sultan is also gearing up for 2014; he predicts it will be an exciting year for Emirates SkyCargo.
     “We are migrating our freighter operations—and increasingly our cargo business—to the new Dubai World Central International Airport and will provide bonded road connections and dedicated interface between all flights and DWC in May 2014.
     “Already cargo companies are at DWC, including forwarders, and other infrastructure is in place as volumes continue to build via the UAE gateway.”
     “Two weeks ago the passenger business opened at the field with more to come as the gateway takes shape as an LCC address.”
     Asked which trade shows he is thinking about for 2014, Mr. Sultan says:
     “Intermodal South America in Sao Paulo in 2014 holds the promise of drawing the spirited growing cargo business in Latin America.
     “From our vantage point, we will continue to grow strength to strength and be in the center of the action, wherever we fly,” says Nabil Sultan.
Geoffrey/Flossie

hen IAG Cargo (British Airways and Iberia) announced in the middle of October this year that it opened the Constant Climate Centre for pharma products at London Heathrow airport, the industry in Hyderabad took notice.
In addition, IAG Cargo also increased flights between London Heathrow and Hyderabad.
From October 27, 2013, the number of flights rose from six to seven a week.
     The route saw capacity increased by 50 percent with the introduction of the larger B777-200, a model that increased cargo capacity to six pallets, up from the earlier four.
     The introduction of the additional flight, according to John Cheetham, Regional Commercial Manager for Asia Pacific and India at IAG Cargo, was “excellent news for businesses in Hyderabad, offering customers more cargo space and schedule flexibility than ever before.”
     He went on to point out that businesses in Hyderabad were always looking for ways to connect their production facilities with markets across the globe, and this was “the first step in providing consistent, year-round coverage for this key market and offering our customers the level of connectivity they require, helping to fuel India’s pharma boom.”

     “The pharma business will go a long way to help IAG hold yields in a weak cargo market,” Pravin Singh, Area Commercial Manager South Asia, IAG Cargo, told FlyingTypers.
     “We see pharma shipments flowing through our network, rather than just terminating in London.”
     Singh mentioned the launch of the Constant Climate Centre in London, “to ensure that terminating and transiting pharma shipments are kept in the optimal conditions, but a large percentage of shipments will then flow onto Europe, Africa, North America, and Latin America.”
     He emphasized: “IAG Cargo has the world’s largest transatlantic network into North America and Latin America, and that makes us a very attractive proposition for pharma movements.”


     Boosting pharma exports, the Hyderabad airport has improved facilities.
     Comparing the Pharma Zone in Hyderabad with similar facilities, Singh said that the “Pharma Zone in Hyderabad offers a world-class facility to freight forwarders and pharmaceutical companies.
     “This activity has supported the huge growth for pharma in India, and IAG Cargo has doubled exports from India to the rest of the world on IAG Cargo aircraft between 2010-2012.”


     Pravin Singh also mentioned proper infrastructure would help the cause of air cargo in the country.
     He said:
     “As India continues to grow, the air cargo industry will need to respond with infrastructure investments. But airports also need to grow. We have already seen huge improvements in the cargo facilities available at airports including Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad. Such investments will help India improve on its already enviable position.
     “The growth in Chennai and Mumbai,” he emphasized, “expectedly put pressure on existing infrastructure.
     “More needs to be done to connect small town India and the manufacturing hubs via an aligned Customs regime and road network into the main international gateways.”
     He was quick to point out that “the 24/7 Customs coverage announced at a few airports in the country is a step in the right direction.
     “We would welcome implementation of this in other major airports such as Chennai and Mumbai,” said Singh.
     “The India growth story would gain significantly from improved infrastructure, allowing faster movement of goods to and from airports and allowing diversification from a traditional business model.
     “And as far as IAG Cargo was concerned, it was committed to the Indian market and we will continue to make investments in capacity and frequency—as required—to help support businesses in the region.
     “We will continue to work closely with Indian business in order to provide vital connections to global markets and help fuel growth for all concerned,” said Singh.
Tirthankar Ghosh

     Here it comes, via Lufthansa, Air France/KLM, and of course many others—that time of year when cargo flies Beaujolais Nouveau to wine lovers around the world.
     This happens every year and the rules of the game are quite specific:
     The new wine may not be enjoyed before the stroke of midnight on the third Thursday in November.
     It’s time to count down to corks popping all over the world this Thrusday November 21.
     But just make sure the new wine is on its way.
     In many locations, from Tokyo to Timbuktu, the word is:
"Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!"

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