Q & A with Nael Attiyat

After earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Geophysics at Damascus University, Attiyat began his career in the industry with DHL Jordan in 1996.

He spent more than 15 years of his solid 22 years in the industry with DHL, rising from the ranks, giving him full understanding of the inner workings of the global air freight sector.

He also worked for major companies like TNT and OSN in key management roles before moving to Royal Jordanian Cargo in 2016 where he is credited for making significant restructuring, making the company more profitable and competitive regionally and globally.

In an exclusive interview with Air Cargo Update, Attiyat, who also studied at Cambridge University and holds an MBA from New York’s Rutgers Business School, shares his insights and thoughts on Jordan’s top air freight company and the air cargo industry in general.

Royal Jordanian Cargo is one of the leading air freight carriers in the Middle East serving more than 28 airports throughout the Arab world and 22 points in Europe, what makes it superior to its competitors?

Thousands of years ago, Jordan played a major role in what was called at that time the “Silk Road” wherein it was recognized as the “Regional Distribution Centre” due to its favorable location, weather conditions and its ability to deliver on its tasks.

RJ Cargo is building on those facts in giving value to the logistical world’s map towards meaningful methods of transportation. Jordan’s geographical location and its ideal weather condition help in the supply chain in guaranteeing speed, consistency, ideal cost modeling and flexibility.

With that in mind, and knowing that we have a dynamic network of freighter and passenger aircraft, we managed to add great value to the supply chain globally.

With a great team, we’re able to provide the right solutions connecting the Far East, Europe, the United States to the Middle East, focusing on offering quality transit while meeting the growing demand for efficient air transportation.

How has the air freight industry transformed over the last few years in your opinion?

With regional dynamics and changes that are happening, along with increased demand for e-Commerce (B to C) regionally and globally, a new dimension in air freight service came about where quality and transparency became the key selling points for any carriers.

How can customers track their shipments? What techniques do you employ to track consign-ments?

We at RJ Cargo have re-introduced our website with better features and product information to help customers navigate easily in checking shipments, making inquiries or do other business transactions online.

Now customers can be introduced to our vast services and products apart from calculating the cost of shipping charges before preparing the MAWB, and most importantly, website offers transparent visibility where customers can track and trace their shipment. With those features, customers can know the exact departure and arrival details of their shipments. Thereby, they can plan accurately for receiving the shipments at final destination. This feature is available on http://rj-cargo.com/

Do you agree that e-Commerce will help increase air cargo volumes? If so, please elaborate.

Developments in technology have led to global exposure online of numerous products. This has brought the supply chain closer, between end-user and seller, causing shortcuts that are needed to speed-up the process and reduce cost.

The e-Commerce demand is growing fantastically well in the last few years, and this year was no exception as we are experiencing a major peak caused by the growing demand to link between end-user and supplier.

While regionally we are at “Business to Consumer” Stage “B to C” we are actively looking and watching the (C to C) Consumer to Consumer Dynamics, preparing to make the necessary changes to meet the growing demand in that sector.

Are you planning to increase your clout in the Indian Sub-continent and if yes what steps have you taken for the same?

The Indian Subcontinent is a major player in the logistics world map. We are currently working very closely with our partners, supporting the high-demand through alliances that we have in place. These solutions have been introduced. However, we will watch the increasing demand to make sure that we have the right investment when needed.

Please tell us more about your plans for expansion.

We are going ahead with the plan we started about two years ago— promoting Jordan as a transit hub and regional gateway. Making sure that the investments needed should be well prepared and seized according to the market dynamics.

The air freight market is constantly changing and it’s more like the stock market nowadays. Every morning you open your eyes on something new and only dynamic organizations can capture the opportunities on time.