São Paulo – Following years of unstable growth as a result of the global crisis, Emirates Airline’s cargo division is back at “a good moment” in 2013, the senior vice president for Cargo Revenue Optimization and Systems, Pradeep Kumar, told ANBA this Tuesday (2nd), during an interview on the opening day of logistics fair Intermodal South America, held in São Paulo.
During the fiscal year 2012/2013, the company grew by 8% and posted its highest revenue figure, at US$ 2.8 billion. The results for the 2013/2014 fiscal year are yet to be released, but Kumar said South American operations were up approximately 45%. The company flies to the Viracopos Airport, in the city of Campinas, and a new flight was added in late 2012, increasing flight frequency to four a week. According to the Cargo manager for South America, Dener Souza, this was one of the reasons for Dubai-based company’s increased revenues and cargo throughput in the region.
“We had six years of stability, but in 2013 there was some improvement (in cargo operations). And what we had in 2013 was very good, even better than we expected. Some of the markets fared well, such as Asia, the Middle East’s transactions with Africa, and South America’s transactions with Europe,” said Kumar. The fiscal year for Emirates Airline and its cargo division, Emirates SkyCargo, begins on April 1st and ends on March 31st of the following year.
Kumar said Emirates SkyCargo should keep growing in South America this year, driven first and foremost by ts Brazilian operations. “This year, due to the World Cup, we believe there will be stronger demand for infrastructure equipment,” he said.
Extended operations
Emirates SkyCargo flies to Brazil since November 2010. Flights leave on Tuesdays, Thursday s and Saturday s from the Viracopos Airport, with layovers in Dakar, Senegal, and Frankfurt, Germany, before arriving in Dubai. On Mondays, there is a flight between Viracopos and Quito, Ecuador, with a layover in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and then Dubai. In addition to Boeing 777F model cargo aircraft, the airline uses the cargo compartments of jets leaving daily from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, and Buenos Aires, in Argentina.
Another Arab
This year, for the first time, the Intermodal fair is featuring another Arab airline: Etihad Cargo. Etihad has been flying to Brazil since June last year. The airline’s cargo division operates a Boeing 747-8 in Viracopos, in partnership with Atlas Air. Viracopos is one of the layovers of this flight, which is known as “around the world” and touches down in Quito, Miami, Hong Kong, Chicago and Amsterdam antes before arriving at the airline’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Service
Intermodal South America
Until April 3rd from 13h to 21h
Transamerica ExpoCenter, São Paulo – SP
For additional information go to: http://www.intermodal.com.br/pt/
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum