Nabil Sultan is sitting in a comfortable room downstairs inside the big Emirates SkyCargo presentation at TIACA Paris on October 4.
     SkyCargo’s Divisional Senior Vice President (DSVP) burst upon the global air cargo scene just two and a half years ago as Emirates’ first head of air cargo.
     He has guided a giant enterprise with a deft hand and cool yet engaged management style that has grown and evolved at every step.
     Today Emirates is the number one largest international combination air cargo airline in the world.
     “We are here (in Paris) to advance understanding and cooperation with our service partners and also extend our offering to everyone in air cargo,” Nabil Sultan said.
     “Our product offering is varied, well studied, and is the result of utilizing our global route network and multiplicity of flights into the world’s leading gateways.”

Pharma Lights Up The Future

     “In cooperation with research institutes and leading suppliers, we've developed the latest technology in temperature-controlled cargo solutions to preserve the product quality and integrity of temperature sensitive pharmaceutical and healthcare products from numerous destinations in the world via hub Dubai.
     “This includes our state-of-the-art warehouses both at Dubai World Central, where we operate our freighters, and also at Dubai International Airport, serving the entire combination fleet of all widebody aircraft,” Nabil Sultan declared.

Into the Thirties

     Although it may be hard to believe, Emirates is now approaching its 32nd year in business. The Prince of Dubai founded Emirates with a few leased in airplanes from Pakistan International Airways on March 25, 1985.
     During the ensuing years EK rewrote aviation history, first as a babe (albeit classy and self-confident) in the airways, then opening service to the world as a teenager, roaring during its 20s into a world power in aviation, and now in its 30s as a global leader against which others are measured.
     The Dubai-based powerhouse has been a total class act in the airline business. It has climbed steadily into the heavens and ranks skyward in every department of the airline experience.

Good Old Days Good And Gone

     It is easy to wax poetic about the good old days of aviation and what it was like to fly air cargo or passenger when flight numbers included less than 100 people onboard.
     What is realized immediately in viewing Emirates or, better still, in experiencing their services, is how this carrier has changed the airline business forever.
     Today Emirates SkyCargo operates a fleet of 15 dedicated freighters—13 Boeing 777-Fs and two B747-400ERFs—out of its Emirates SkyCentral freighter hub at Dubai World Central, in addition to its combined passenger and belly service out of Dubai International Airport (DXB).

Look Out For Number One

     “We are the world’s largest international cargo airline because at SkyCargo everything is important to us—each customer, every flight.
     “True, we aim high,” Nabil Sultan said, “but exceeding expectations is what drives our place in the market.
     “For example,” Nabil points out, “anybody can put aircraft into service, but the Emirates difference is thoughtful expansion.
     “That means we enter a market with a plan, including investment and time for things to develop and blossom.
     “Just last month we expanded our presence in Scandinavia with the launch of a new weekly B777 freighter service from Oslo to Dubai that commenced October 11, 2016.
     “The cargo capacity adds both lift and flexible load capability in addition to the 175 tons of belly hold capacity offered on the 5 weekly Boeing 777-300ER passenger flights from Oslo.
     “We have seen seafood exports double from Norway during the past decade.”

Gateway Spectacular

     Emirates SkyCargo’s state of the art facilities at its Emirates SkyCentral freighter hub at Dubai World Central leans into the plan quite well, especially for pharma and the transportation of temperature-sensitive seafood shipments.
     Quick two-way connections occur from the freighter hub at DWC and DXB, where all the combination aircraft offer a transit time of just 5 hours between arrival of goods at Dubai World Central and their departure on belly hold capacity in passenger flights from Dubai International Airport.
     That adds up to lightning fast connections to over 150 destinations across 82 countries in 6 continents across the world.

Mostly Nabil

     Most impressive to us personally is the emergence of Nabil Sultan.
     Shortly after Nabil Sultan appeared on the world stage as Emirates’ “newly appointed Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo July 1, 2013,” he headed to the United States to meet staff and customers.
     We met up with him at SkyCargo John F. Kennedy International Airport before that fateful exercise got underway.
     At the time, the presser from EK stated that Nabil was an Emirati educated in the U.S., so our spirits and expectations were raised about the opportunity to work with a native UAE person in commercial aviation.
     It became clear very quickly as we spoke with him that he was a man of considerably more grit and substance than that of a token appointee or someone who was just in the right place at the right time.
     While reserved, quiet, and even studious, Nabil is also quite the cool customer.
     Smart, refined, and always listening more than speaking, Nabil did not appear to be the least bit intimidated about inhabiting the top spot of the biggest emerging international airline in the world.
     By charting his own course and believing in himself and his team, Nabil has emerged as a force indistinguishable from SkyCargo itself as the Dubai air cargo juggernaut continues its torrid growth in international air commerce.
     Directing focus on the product rather than the man might turn out to be the smartest thing Nabil Sultan could have done.
     But you don’t have to talk to him very long before Nabil Sultan is telling you through his actions to “watch what I do.”
     Nabil has remained tasked towards keeping priorities straight, including the well-publicized movement of the entire 14-freighter fleet to the new Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International Airport.

Less Than Zero

     “It has taken some time to get everything into place, but now SkyCargo is ready with the finest cool-chain operation in the world.
     “Our GDP-compliant operations are biggest in the world.
     “It’s little wonder that our numbers in the sector continue to grow.
     “We expect to continue increasing our activities in 2016 after witnessing a 23 percent growth in 2015.
     “Today Emirates has invested and refined our activities in a cold chain operation that has broken the myth of shipping and hubbing pharma via an airline operating in the desert.
     “In terms of percentages, the chance of exposure to outside temperatures via any Emirates SkyCargo cool chain movement is less than zero,” Nabil Sultan said.

A Team Effort

      “As we have progressed in the air cargo business Emirates has scoured the earth for the best and brightest people for key positions up and down the line.
     “I am confident that from Chicago to Zimbabwe we have fielded the finest team in the air cargo business.
     “‘The best surprise is no surprise,’ describes our operation, where Emirates Sky Chain technology provides complete transparency to every air cargo movement.
     “But having the correct information goes hand in hand with the human touch of letting everyone know what to expect in every step of the shipping process,” Nabil Sultan said.

About Freight Forwarders

      “Freight Forwarders,” said Nabil Sultan, “are an essential part of the logistics chain in ensuring end-to-end offerings to customers.
     “Forwarders are important partners to Emirates SkyCargo in delivering value to our customers.
     “We work through a closely integrated model with freight forwarders globally—this includes integrating some of our largest forwarding partners as part of our sales structure.
     “Emirates believe that as part of a successful partnership it is important to have a tripartite dialogue with the end customer in order to deliver maximum value.”

It’s About Commitment

     “Emirates SkyCargo is committed to being a facilitator of global trade flows, offering cargo hold capacity on our fleet of more than 250 aircraft, including 15 dedicated freighters, 13 Boeing 777-Fs, and 2 B747-400ERFs.
     “With an unrivalled route network, we connect cargo customers to over 150 cities in 82 countries on 6 continents and operate in many of the world’s fastest developing markets.
     “Emirates SkyCargo will continue to adhere to its policy of excellence in every area of operation in the years to come.
     “Given the constantly changing landscape of the global air cargo industry, we can truly be an agile global partner to freight forwarders with our current set up, allowing for a ‘win-win’ solution through mutual cooperation.”

Driving Partnerships

      “In the past, the partnership between airlines and freight forwarders has largely been driven by the rate offering.
     “Although still important, there are other factors that can help drive value and efficiency in the relationship, such as the strength and reach of the network of the airline.
     “For example, as the single largest operator of the B777 and an all wide body fleet, we offer seamless freight transfer across our entire network. Emirates SkyCargo also offers customized solutions for our freight forwarding partners that allows them to be in better control of the shipping process, and we see this as an important driver for the future of the partnership.
     “We truly challenge traditional forwarding models by using alternative solutions, which are fast and more reliable in performance, without jeopardizing the value of the consolidation.”

Carrying Things Farther

      “It is very important,” says Nabil Sultan, “for the airline and freight forwarder to understand each other’s strengths and unique offerings and see how that can be used for mutual benefit.
     “There can be no one recommended ‘one size fits all’ solution for a successful partnership as every case is unique.
     “It is essential for the two parties to work closely together to identify the best arrangement,” Nabil concluded.
Geoffrey

After talking with Babar Badat, Managing Director of Transfreight Corporation (Pvt) Ltd of Karachi, Pakistan, it’s easy to understand why the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) reconfirmed this effusive and approachable executive to the post of senior vice president last year at its Annual World Congress 2015 in Chinese Taipei.
     FIATA, with national representation from 160 countries and more than 40,000 international logistics companies as members, had many places to turn and several excellent choices to round out its board, but moved toward Mr. Badat. He has emerged as a leader and pioneering organizer of a robust and effective logistics industry that has become a bright spot on the Pakistani landscape.
     Mr. Badat is a founder and served as first Chairman of the Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association (PIFFA), which has grown from just a few companies in 2005 to more than 500 today.
     The role of PIFFA includes support for Pakistan trade worldwide and the development and maintenance of a healthy international freight industry within Pakistan.
     PIFFA also works to ensure that a level playing field exists for companies involved in attempting to establish and maintain the movement of freight both in the country and worldwide by all modes transport.
     PIFFA promotes the freight/logistics service industry as a whole.
     “The Association aims to achieve standardization in the industry and to promote a high degree of professional conduct among its members, including ethics and financial viability.
     “PIFFA has also been instrumental in establishing and continuously updating the industry's S.T.C (Standard Trading Conditions).

Meetings All The Time

      PIFFA is quite active, with several monthly meetings that include a vigorous, well-informed engaged membership.
     “PIFFA sees Pakistan’s historic and geographic position and well-educated population as building blocks to trade development and business expansion for the country,” Mr. Badat said.
     “PIFFA speaks to better and fairer trade relations and business practices at home, in Europe, and elsewhere.
     “PIFFA also works as a focus organization with youth outreach programs for training forwarders, and is rated excellent by any standard.
     “PIFFA is building a vibrant, active logistics community in Pakistan that has grown and prospered during the last decade. PIFFA has grown trade, moving cargoes into and out of the country, Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the region,” Babar said.


Present At The Creation

     Mr. Badat’s company, Transfreight, was founded in December 1982, an outgrowth of a JV with a German company that began in 1979.
     It is one of Pakistan's earliest international freight forwarding organizations.
     Transfreight maintains its own shipping as well as custom licenses issued by the Government of Pakistan and operates services for a selected range of clients for their exports as well as imports.
     Among other things, the company has been handling project cargoes for the country’s textile trade.
     It should be mentioned that Transfreight is responsible for shipping most of the major projects of textile, spinning, & weaving machinery imported from Europe to Pakistan since 1982.
     “But we have the capability to handle any size project, with separate teams of dedicated professionals available who can handle shipments from the country of origin to delivery at final site,” Mr. Badat said softly.


One Step at a Time

     Babar Badat may have low friends in high places in Pakistan, but he uses his unique position to drive the destiny of his homeland into the modern logistics world. Despite the many well-publicized challenges, he remains convinced Pakistan’s day is coming.
     “You must always maintain your sense of purpose and mission to build on the great potential of the country. Now approaching 200 million people, we rank as the sixth largest nation on earth.
     “It also does not hurt to maintain your sense of humor,” Mr. Badat smiles.
     “Yes, there are problems, both social and political, which stretch across the canvas, affecting our ability to move ahead, I think but the government is moving to right things.
     “Our country contributes to charity; in fact, outside of America, we’re one of the biggest contributors in the world.
     “Transfreight is primarily a freight forwarding company with offices throughout Pakistan.
     “From our beginnings we have kept pace and even slightly ahead of market.
     “Over the years we have set up independent companies (including trucking) that served as conduits to move cargo—first for Russia and later for NATO into Afghanistan and elsewhere.
     “Of course, as a matter of how we do business, Transfreight considers itself quite flexible and ready to use our market position and expertise to create custom programs to meet any specific demand.”

Looking Ahead

     In terms of the future, Mr. Badat outlined a view that is now further developed from where it was at last year’s FIATA World Congress in Taipei. While some countries might not take a second look at Pakistan, Mainland China has developed opportunities for Pakistan with a $46 billion deal for road, rail, and pipelines along what is euphemistically branded ‘The China Pakistan Economic Corridor.’
     “Karachi was connected to the markets of Western China, but there needs to be far more regional assimilation,” Babar said at Taipei.
     “For most countries in the European Union and ASEAN, regional trade consists of 45-55 percent of GDP, but because of the lack of connectivity in our region, Pakistan is at 4 or 5 percent of GDP,” he said.
     “The potential to connect in the region is huge and that is what our government is doing and the logistics industry is trying to play its role,” Mr. Badat said.
     The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor features a western route for transit traffic from the port of Gwadar to Karachi. Inland, the central route north from Karachi intersects with the route that runs up from the middle of the country.
     As it develops, the corridor will become “a game changer for the region,” Babar Badat said.
Geoffrey

Here in Vital Views we continue our series of thoughts generated by individuals that have appeared in our pages since we began publishing in 1975.   Richard Malkin has covered the air cargo business since 1942, and today at 103 years of age he has edited these comments.   Vital Views is offered during a time of change in air cargo. It attempts to reach back into our past and recall outlooks that might help inform us when dealing with the challenges of today.

Shift Of The Forwarder. . .In 2005 Daniel C. Fernandez, secretary general, The International Air Cargo Association, in a broad discussion centered on dramatic changes in the air freight industry, called attention to the shift of the forwarder as a “rudimentary” status to “quite another industry, more aggressive, more technologically involved, more formation-oriented.”    Has he seen improvement in airline-forwarder relations? “Yes. The two are closer than they had been in the past. The plain fact is that they have been driven to recognize that they need each other there is greater transparency. The lack of a common platform was the lack of knowledge of each other.”

To Earn 20 cents . . . John Champion, who headed Champion Transport Services in 1993 had a vital point to be made about cost: “Within the U.S.A., major carriers offer 20 cents per pound systemwide rates. If you get quite a good shipment it might even exceed the minimum charge. Imagine, since everything is through a hub, just the multiple processing, loading and unloading involved to earn 20 cents, let alone the actual carriage.”

Develop A Central Cargo European Hub . . . Vince Chabrol, Malev's U.S. Manager reported in 2000 on plans to construct a 10,000 square meter cargo terminal at Ferihegy Airport, possibly on a participating basis with the airport’s operator. The goal is to develop the facility as a Central European cargo hub.

Bar-Code Technology Enhances The Air Transportation Process. . . In 1994 Ted Braun, manager-cargo services development, International Air Transport Association, underscored a fact not to be overlooked:      “In the warehouse, at planeside—neither of which is exactly an office-like environment—normally poorly paid people continue to label boxes by hand and read cargo labels at odd angles, in bright sunshine, rainfall, or snowstorm. It is here that it is ultimately determined whether the last-minute shipment information stored in a fault-tolerant computer is any good. Technology is present to support various work processes, and each application has its merit. In most cases, solutions complement each other, so bar-code technology enhances the air transportation process; it does not replace, exclude, nor threaten EDI . . . before we wrinkle the nose and dismiss those boring low-tech barcodes, which every halfway decent supermarket uses, consider what this technology can bring the air cargo industry by linking quality shipment information with the shipment itself.”

Vol. 15 No. 92
Air Cargo Surges As Asia Eyes Trump
Chuckles For December 6, 2016
Oh! What Antonella Can Do
Flights Of Fancy