Emirates SkyCargo sets sights on the future at the Worldwide Cargo Conference

Attendees in addition to corporate officials were outstation managers and GSA representatives from Emirates SkyCargo's 84 online stations and also included representation from diverse, strategic off-line locations in Europe and South America.

The three-day event which was held concurrently with its passenger division and themed "Raising the Game" was attended by over 700 delegates in total. Concurrent meetings culminated in a gala dinner, a formal affair celebrating Emirates' recent FIFA Football World Cup(TM) sponsorship.

In an opening address by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman & Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, delegates were congratulated for their success in the 2005/2006 financial year, including the outstanding Emirates SkyCargo milestone of carrying over 1 million tonnes of cargo and generating revenue of over US$1 billion. Sheikh Ahmed also stressed that Emirates' core strengths which include innovative technology and a modern fleet will be as important in the future as they have in the past.

In his opening words to the delegates, Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline discussed the carrier's current developments and future objectives including the establishment of World Central and the Jebel Ali Airport with its additional capacity to handle 120 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo, expected to be completed by 2010. Clark also reviewed fleet acquisition plans highlighted by the 2007 arrival of the first of the 45 ordered A380 aircraft which together with other orders including eight Boeing 777LR freighter aircraft will take the fleet to 160 aircraft when complete.

Coinciding with meetings concerning the commission of major infrastructure developments were detailed discussions about Emirates SkyCargo's Next Generation SkyChain (NGSC). This new IT development, which has taken over 300 man years to build, is revolutionary and will facilitate more flexibility of cargo management processes whist affording open communication on an end-to-end basis for all supply chain participants. The system is scheduled for operational cutover in September of this year.

"IT infrastructure is as important and core to Emirates SkyCargo as our aircraft. The efficiency of our technology is integral to our ability to manage the supply lines within the supply chain. This success depends on how well we equip our dedicated team and our conference was particularly important to meet that end," said Ram Menen, Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.

The Worldwide Cargo Conference also addressed topics concerning the new Emirates dedicated Cargo Mega-Terminal, a project that will increase cargo capacity to over 1.2 million tonnes, enabling Dubai to become a leading worldwide hub with Emirates SkyCargo as its principal operator. The significance and opportunities of the 12 million tonne annual cargo through-put capability of the Dubai World Central development at Jebel Ali was also presented to delegates. Along with break-out sessions which addressed competitive advantage and strategic objectives for global operations and sales, the event ensured that the Emirates SkyCargo "team" departed Dubai with heightened awareness and motivation while also providing a strengthened focus on the exciting period of growth ahead.