Mohamed Hassan There is no perfect script for responding to the challenges of COVID-19, but together, the industry is getting the supplies to where they are needed. Setting a distinctive example, flydubai Cargo has been maximising its capacity by transporting goods in the cargo hold on repatriation flights as well. The carrier has so far operated 1,300 cargo flights since March 2020, carrying 7,458,117 kgs of cargo to 41 destinations including to the major points in India. Mohamed Hassan, Vice President for Cargo Operations at flydubai informs Upamanyu Borah, how they have been working closely with their strategic partners, thriving to keep the entire industry structure healthy and enabling the carrier to transport cargo seamlessly to where it is needed the most.
The industry should continue to collaborate to ensure preparedness
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hat are the short to medium-term prospects for flydubai considering the current market volatility due to the crisis? There is no doubt that the impact of the pandemic on the worldwide air cargo industry is significant, but the agility we have in our business model has enabled us to cope well with the current challenges. Following the temporarily suspension of passenger operations as part of the precautionary measures announced by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in the UAE, flydubai has allocated six next-generation Boeing 737800 aircraft to operate as all-cargo flights to enable the movement of essential goods across its network and beyond. The number of aircrafts used for our all-cargo operations were later increased to eight so as to cater to the increasing demand for moving essential goods during the pandemic. We continue to look for opportunities to further support the supply 16 |
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chain industry in the long run as we see restrictions being lifted around the region.
What are the current challenges involved in trade lane management? How difficult it has been to balance the trade flow and ensure full capacity on south-west routes? Global travel restrictions put in place due to COVID-19 was not the only challenge airlines had to face. There are various other restrictions which had impacted the flow of air cargo movement including the existing structure of bilateral and multilateral agreements, slot availability at certain airports, and limited capacity in the belly hold of passenger aircrafts. flydubai was able to overcome these challenges by working closely with our stakeholders to support government requests to provide relief flights. In addition to utilising the cargo hold capacity in our passenger aircraft, we worked with the relevant authorities to increase our cargo capabilities by allowing cargo in the cabin to a number of destinations. This was done in line with the guidelines and recommendations issued by the Interna-
tional Air Transport Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Boeing, and with the approval of UAE’s aviation regulator, GCAA.
How can shippers and carriers overcome global cross-border e-commerce impediments? Airlines need to focus on implementing fuel-efficient solutions and accommodate innovative technologies to provide cost-effective services. For logistics providers to succeed, the storage facilities need to be developed to assist the global increase in air cargo. We are grateful to governments all over the world for taking firm actions to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. Safety remains the priority of all our operations. The measures that are put in place ensure safety standards are met at all touch points. What is the update on your penetration in the South Asian region, especially India? We have always been proud of our strong ties with India. We started our
