 If
“May Day” to you means the international call for distress,
then think again.
In Dubai, Emirates SkyCargo made a big
move on May 1 by migrating all of its freighter lift from Dubai (DXB)
to Al Maktoum Dubai World Central (DWC) with nary a bump in the road
between the two mega UAE gateways.
Although he is reluctant to say he planned
it that way, others at Emirates are in awe of Nabil Sultan, Emirates
Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.
“He really took the bull by the
horns,” is how one person described it, “working day and
night to see to it that everything was in place for the changeover.”
Nabil spoke to FlyingTypers in
an exclusive interview last week at TIACA Istanbul:
“It is not about personalities;
we all do our job and the Emirates SkyCargo Team is superb. The mission
for each and every one of us is to build upon our accomplishments and
focus all our energies on the continued success of Emirates SkyCargo.
“The first step is this gigantic
move of our freighter resources to this grand new airport.
“Now with start up of operations
at DWC on Thursday, May 1, we have reached a major milestone for Emirates
SkyCargo.
“Our various teams, along with many
of our partners and stakeholders, have been working very hard over the
past few months to complete phase one of the project.
“We have also held numerous trials
to test the readiness of every aspect of the facility and the movement
of cargo between DWC and Dubai International to ensure a smooth transition
and enable us to meet our customers’ expectations.
“We are very pleased that we have
met our timelines and the move has gone according to plan.
“This new DWC facility affords us
the additional space and capacity required to manage the growth of our
cargo business and have a dedicated, modern and efficient hub for our
freighter operations, which contribute 35 percent of Emirates SkyCargo’s
total revenue.”
But just in case
someone might take the DWC freighter opening as a shot in the dark,
one- time deal, Nabil Sultan sets the record straight.
“Over the next 5 years we will spend
250 million dollars and DWC will emerge as a city within a city.
“There are six plots for building.
To this point we have just built the first one. This facility will allow
us to plug freighter capacity into need.
“Infrastructure will be key to managing
volume.
“My response to anybody that asks
me about Emirates SkyCargo is: 'Use us.'
“What we offer is a complete solution
based on value for money,” Nabil Sultan said.
Geoffrey/Flossie
 The
interior of the DWC cargo facility is equipped with state-of-the-art
technology to handle 700,000 tons of cargo annually in phase two,
scheduled to be completed by September this year.
The technology includes a fully
automated material handling system; DWC is one of the world’s
first facilities to have an automated Quick Dolly Transfer System,
enabling movement of 6 Unit Load Devices (ULDs) simultaneously.
The new DWC has the potential for
further expansion to one million tons annually.
DWC At A Glance…In addition, an
automated pallet handling system, advanced storage system, offices,
workstation areas, modern communication, security systems, and
many amenities for employees, including canteens, have been installed.
The perishable area can handle 140,000
tons of cargo per annum, featuring three large areas each with
different temperature ranges.
45 SkyCargo DWC truck docks and
80 truck parking spaces, in addition to 12 aircraft stands, directly
in front of the terminal.
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