SkyCargo A310 Regional Freighter Solid Lifter

     Youthful Hiran Perera at times appears amused but not overwhelmed at the increased attention he has been getting lately as Emirates Sky Cargo Vice President Cargo – Freighters.
     Maybe it’s experience after nearly eight years aboard at Emirates SkyCargo.
     Perhaps it is something about the water at home in his native Sri Lanka.
     But as a key executive for Emirates rise through the top 20 toward the pinnacle of world air cargo carriers (EK is now ranked 15th), Hiran combines textbook knowledge and on the job experience with an even-handed soft spoken style no matter what the whirlwind elsewhere in air cargo.
     Today with six B747F’s including four 400 series plus a brace of 200’s on ACMI lease from Atlas, and the first ever freighter owned and operated by EK, an Airbus A310-300F serving the air trade at destinations throughout the Middle East from Gateway Dubai, plus another two A310’s scheduled to join the fleet after conversion at Dresden, and the “Big Cahuna” pair of yet to be built A380-800F super-jumbo freighters on order for 2008, Emirates moves ever upward.
     A just announced hookup with Korean Air Cargo to code share space aboard KAL all-cargo service between India and Dubai offers SkyCargo customers an additional twenty tons of lift twice weekly—on Wednesdays from Mumbai, and Fridays from New Delhi.
     Likewise another arrangement with SAS has lent additional freighter capacity between Dubai and Hong Kong as Emirates moves to meet demand for services through various partnerships.
     But when it comes to operating freighters, it is all good to Hiran.
     "Freighter operations growing the business of Sky Cargo globally are a valued and increasingly important part of our cargo operation.
     ‘Everyone here from top to bottom is a team player determined to get the job done.
     “The most important thing right now is the high cost of fuel and what it may do to the overall economy and the resultant impact it will have on airfreight. “While one cannot do much about the fuel prices, I believe trying to understand the impact is important to formalize short- and medium-term strategies to get through the road bumps (or air pockets).
     “Of course, one must not lose sight of long-term objectives.
     “Our newly launched regional freighter operation has performed better than we expected, especially in light of the high cost of fuel.
     “While fuel cost is an on-going issue, the market response to the regional freighter operation has been most encouraging and we have seen steady volumes.
     “I guess the most surprising aspect has been the resilience of the markets to the high cost of fuel, although at times we wonder how long this situation will last.
     “The other aspect is the operational efficiency we have been able to achieve, given that from a cargo loading and handling perspective, the A310-300F was a new aircraft type in the fleet.
     “The current regional operation includes India, Pakistan, Turkey and Sudan.
     As the other two additional A310F’s aircraft come on line we will position the equipment to increase frequency to these points and to enhance our destinations served - especially in India, Pakistan as well as Africa. hiran.perera@emirates.com.