Dubai, dnata’s newest cargo terminal, FreightGate-8, located at Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) has managed an increase in air cargo volumes of 700% for the 2011-2012 financial year.
The dnata-operated air cargo terminal launched in June 2010, currently handles local and sea-air export and import cargo as well as transit cargo at DWC. In 2011-2012 the dnata team handled a total of 127,665 tons of air cargo, representing an increase of 700% over the previous period. The total number of active cargo flights handled by the dnata team on the ramp and in the cargo terminal was 2,832 for the financial year, having grown by 600% from the previous period.
“It has been a year of records being set and then just as quickly being exceeded”, said Stuart Hayman, Vice President of cargo operations for dnata. “We measure our volumes for each shift (which covers a 12 hour period) and we often handle volumes in excess of 1,000 tons (or one million kilograms) in these 12 hour shifts”.
“With these volume records constantly being set and all of the unusual loads that we have been handling recently, our motto has now become ‘If it fits in to an aeroplane, then dnata’s FreightGate-8 and ramp operations teams can handle it safely and securely!’ We are well and truly open for business and look forward to the volume growth continuing in the months and years to come,” he continued.
dnata currently handles a wide variety of freighter aircraft types at DWC, including: Ilyushin IL76s, Antonov AN124s, Hercules C130s, Airbus A300Fs, Boeing 747Fs, Boeing 777Fs and the newest freighter in the skies, the Boeing 747-8F which can carry a payload of up to 134 tons. These varied aircraft are operated by 36 different airline customers at present.
In addition to the aircraft flights, dnata’s FreightGate-8 also handles another 35 airlines which operate truck flights. Over 30,000 tons of cargo have been transported from this mode of handling during the past 12 months.
Source: dnata
