With 2021 set to be another challenging year, operators must stay agile and resilient to decisively adapt to changing trends, believes Dnata’s VP for UAE cargo, Bernd Struck
2021 will be another challenging year for the industry, with continued solid demand for quality and safe cargo services and innovative solutions that deliver value. We will stay agile and resilient to decisively adapt to changing trends and emerge stronger from the COVID-19 crisis.
Continued travel restrictions on the passenger side imposed by governments due to the pandemic will continue to influence our overall growth pattern and keep belly capacity of passenger flights limited. However, we expect continued growth of courier and small parcel traffic as e-commerce continues to expand globally.
Vaccine distribution corridor
We are excited to see our role in the transportation of vaccines unfolding. Having invested significantly in our cold chain and pharma-handling capabilities in recent years, we are well positioned to move every pharma and vaccine shipment safely and efficiently, in compliance with the highest international standards. Our certified warehouses are capable of handling large volumes and can be further expanded when demand increases, likely in the second half of the year. We work closely with our partners and have joined forces with Dubai Airports and GMR Hyderabad International Airport to support them in creating a focussed Covid-19 vaccine distribution corridor.
We will continue to invest in cutting-edge technologies to further improve efficiency and offer more value to our customers. We will redevelop our cargo community platform, Calogi, to provide one-stop services, including appointment and customs services management, to the air cargo community. As a result of a recent investment, our just-in-time freight handling platform, which seamlessly integrates into Calogi, will reduce the average freight handling time at our cargo terminals by more than 60% to an average of 30 minutes.
“As a result of a recent investment, our freight handling platform will reduce the average handling time by more than 60% to 30 minutes”
Bernd Struck
Upskilling and reskilling staff
We will also continue to invest in training to upskill and reskill our staff in an effort to further optimize our resources and maximize efficiency across our operations.
We will cooperate closely with the Dubai government and our local stakeholders to support the 21st-century reincarnation of silk road traffic and optimize sea/air traffic through the emirate by introducing automation and pricing schemes. Furthermore, we will actively support the exhibitors of the Dubai Expo 2020, a fantastic event that will take place from 1 October, near our cargo hub at Dubai World Central airport (DWC).
