Passenger wait times at Dubai International (DXB) have dropped by as much as 10% during the first quarter of 2017 thanks to the implementation of new technologies at the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic. Recent results show that in the first three months of 2017, 84% of transfer passengers were processed within 5 minutes, 68% of arrival passengers were processed within 15 minutes, and 87% of departing passengers were processed within ten minutes.
The first technology driving down transaction times and queues at immigration check points is Smart Gates. Smart Gates, and specifically a new service that enables the use of Emirates ID cards to pass through automated immigration gates at DXB, has pushed down transaction times to an average of 10 to 15 seconds per passenger. Since its introduction last year over 1.3 million UAE users have taken advantage of the service.
Completely free of charge and requiring no pre-registration, the service is available on some 120 Smart Gates across DXB and makes passing through immigration fast and convenient for all UAE residents. Launched last year by GDRFA (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner Affairs), Emirates Identity Authority and Dubai Airports, the system can quickly, accurately and efficiently confirm the identity, travel plans and eligibility of UAE residents to enter and depart the country.
The second technology behind shorter wait times is a sophisticated motion sensor system that allows the airport to track queues in real time. The system consists of a series of 530 sensors that have been installed at crucial passenger processing areas in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 at DXB. The sensors track the movement of people, collecting and computing valuable data like passenger wait times and queue lengths, and based on those factors, calculating the prevailing level of service. The data is conveyed via a simple mobile application in use by more than 5,000 operational staff across Dubai Airports, airlines, and control authorities working at the airport. The mobile application alerts all teams in real time and allows Dubai Airports operational staff to quickly identify bottlenecks and facilitate the deployment of resources to address them. Terminal 2 implementation is slated to take place during 2017.
“This automated system provides us with timelier and more accurate data more quickly than the manual system that was used previously,” said Frank McCrorie, Dubai Airports’ Senior Vice President of Operations at DXB. “As a result, the operations team and other organisations that work across the airport now have a bird’s eye view of bottlenecks, allowing them to better manage staffing levels and lanes, and improve the overall customer experience. We have more work to do in this area, but we are pleased with progress to date.”
The access to historical, day-to-day, month-on-month data also means Dubai Airports’ planning teams can identify trends and predict problems before they occur. The analysis has enhanced collaborative decision making between stakeholders and boosted service levels.
Both technologies support Dubai Airports’ DXB Plus programme designed to improve service while increasing capacity to 118 million passengers at DXB by 2018.
Qatar Airways Cargo will commence its fourth Pharma Express freighter service operating from Basel, effective 8 May. The additional freighter brings the total Pharma Express flights to 10 each week, providing dedicated uplift for pharmaceuticals and healthcare products. The award-winning cargo carrier recently increased its Pharma Express flights from both Basel and Brussels in February this year.
Mr. Ulrich Ogiermann, Chief Officer Cargo said, “There is a growing demand worldwide for the safe and reliable transportation of pharmaceuticals. By increasing capacity from Basel, the hub of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry, we are able to provide increased uplift to our customers as well as a seamless cool-chain for pharmaceutical exports out of Basel through our GDP-compliant hub in Doha. Our global customers benefit from additional capacity to import medicines and healthcare products from this major pharmaceutical hub to markets where they are required swiftly, via Qatar Airways scheduled or charter services.”
Qatar Airways Cargo pioneered the innovative and industry-leading Pharma Express flights in 2015, which currently operate from pharmaceutical hubs such as Brussels, Basel, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad to bridge the world’s major pharmaceutical trade lanes. The routes are served by the Airbus A330 freighter aircraft, offering 65 to 68 tonnes of capacity each way. A dedicated hub operations team proactively monitors climate-control on all temperature-sensitive shipments from end-to-end, to ensure the temperature-controlled process is seamless. Additionally, the carrier also engages in regular external audits by shippers and forwarders to maintain the highest standards of compliance and service quality.
Qatar Airways Cargo has invested continuously in product development since the introduction of QR Pharma solution. QR Pharma, the specialised air freight solution for time and temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and healthcare products, is the airline’s fastest growing product within their cargo business. The product offers active and passive transportation for customers. Both solutions have a high loading and handling priority, including late cut-off times and prioritised destination delivery for QR Pharma shipments. As required by product specifications, pharmaceutical shipments are stored, transported and handled under strictly monitored conditions in a climate-controlled environment, during every stage of transportation, including ramp transportation, warehouse storage and aircraft-to-aircraft transfers.
The use of refrigerated trucks at the hub in Doha ensures the cool-chain is continuous and seamless.
The airline has seen a rapid rise in its pharmaceuticals volume, with a 39 per cent increase in temperature-controlled shipments in 2016-17 over the 2015-16 result. The cargo carrier recently added Sao Paulo as its 71st destination to the expanding QR Pharma network and added the 12th Boeing 777 freighter to its fleet.
Sharjah International Airport achieved a growth of 2% in passenger traffic during the first quarter of 2017. The total number of passengers that passed through Sharjah International Airport in the first quarter of 2017 grew to 2.741 million, up from 2.687 million passengers during the corresponding period in 2016.
Aircraft movements increased to 18,569 in Q1, 2017, a 2.85% growth as compared with the 18,054 recorded in the first quarter of 2016.
Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of the Sharjah Airport Authority, said, “The figures from Q1 2017 show the sheer scale of growth and activity being recorded in the emirate of Sharjah with regard to both tourist traffic and business activity. The indicators bode well for more growth by the airport ahead of the year end.”
Al Midfa added, “The increase in passenger traffic in the first quarter of the year was driven by the growth in the number of passengers in January, during which the airport handled 969.633 passengers, a 4.31% growth compared with the figures for the same period in 2016. The airport served 827,369 and 944,038 passengers in February and March respectively.”
Al Midfa added that the aircraft movements in January increased by 5.07 per cent to 6,487 movements, and reached 5,622 and 6,460 movements in February and March respectively.
Al Midfa added, “The growth rate was achieved by the airport to cater to a similar growth in the travel and tourism industry in the emirate and the UAE. This will help achieve Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, which aims to attract more than 10 million tourists by 2021.”
The Sharjah Airport Authority expects more growth as the airport attracts new airlines. In addition, current airlines continue to expand, adding new destinations.
Dubai World Central (DWC), Dubai’s second airport, welcomed Himalaya Airlines’ inaugural flight from the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu recently. The airline will operate three weekly flights from Tribhuvan International Airport to DWC offering eight business class seats and 150 economy class seats on its Airbus A320-214 aircraft. Himalaya Airlines’ arrival at DWC increases the number of passenger carriers serving the airport to 19 and the average number of weekly flights to 106.
Emirates recently announced that it will introduce a third daily service to Brisbane, Australia from 1 December 2017, complementing Emirates’ existing two daily services.
The direct service, to be operated on a B777-200LR aircraft with eight seats in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 216 in Economy Class, will increase capacity on the route by 3,724 seats a week, inbound and outbound between Brisbane and Emirates’ hub Dubai.
This will give passengers in the United Kingdom, France and North America greater access to Australia with just one stop in Dubai as part of Emirates’ global route network, which includes over 150 destinations in more than 80 countries and territories.
The inbound service EK430 will depart Dubai at 22:00hrs, arriving in Brisbane at 18:15hrs the following day. While the outbound flight EK431 will depart Brisbane at 22:25hrs, arriving in Dubai at 07:00hrs the following day.
The service will operate alongside two existing daily services to Dubai. Flights EK434 and EK435 operate nonstop between Dubai and Brisbane and onwards to Auckland, New Zealand, while flights EK432 and EK433 operate between Dubai and Brisbane via Singapore. Additionally, with codeshare partner Qantas, Emirates offers services to Singapore twice daily from Brisbane.
The news comes as Emirates announced it would be upgauging its third daily service to Melbourne from a B777-300ER to an A380 operation from 25 March 2018, allowing passengers to travel aboard Emirates’ A380 on all three daily flights between Melbourne and Dubai.
Australia is a popular destination for international travellers with its diverse cities and coastal lifestyle. Brisbane is renowned for its thriving culture and is the major international gateway to the Gold Coast, a tourist hot spot and host of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
From a cargo perspective, the 777-200LR offers 14 tonnes of cargo capacity in the bellyhold. Popular goods expected to be transported on these services include fresh meat and vegetables, as well as pharmaceuticals.
Etihad Airways is celebrating 10 years of flying to the southern Indian state of Kerala with the introduction of additional flights to the popular destination.
The airline has launched a fourth daily non-stop service between Kozhikode and its Abu Dhabi hub offering convenient onward connections to cities worldwide. The extra capacity takes to 63 the total number of weekly services between Abu Dhabi and its three Kerala gateways of Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. This represents over 30 per cent of Etihad Airways’ frequencies from across 11 Indian cities it serves.
Kerala’s international appeal as a travel destination, famed for ayurvedic treatments and the world-renowned backwaters, has elevated it into one of India’s top tourist destinations. It has been a core part of Etihad Airways’ Indian operations over the past decade and a global network that now spans cities across all continents. Key destinations for travellers from Kerala include Abu Dhabi, the Gulf region, London, New York and Chicago.
Since Etihad Airways’ first flight to Kerala on 31 May 2007 when it inducted services to Thiruvananthapuram, followed two days later by the inaugural Kochi flight, the airline has flown almost 3.5 million guests to and from the state. The Kozhikode route was launched on 1 August 2008.
The current capacity includes four flights a day to Kozhikode; thrice-daily to Kochi and double daily to Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala flights are operated with a mix of Airbus 320 and A321 aircraft featuring up to 16 seats in Business Class and 158 in Economy.
In addition, strategic Indian partner Jet Airways operates seven flights a week from Kochi to Abu Dhabi. The services largely cater to the huge expatriate population from all three Kerala cities and the surrounding areas, living and working in the Gulf region.
Addressing media at a briefing in Thiruvananthapuram recently, Neerja Bhatia, Etihad Airways Vice President Indian Subcontinent, said, “With our multi-frequency scheduled flights to and from Kerala, Etihad Airways has demonstrated a commitment to this vibrant state by offering convenient global access and boosting the domestic tourism industry.
“We have been able to bring the world closer to this beautiful state and connect the people of Kerala to destinations in the Gulf, including our Abu Dhabi home, which has also been the base for thriving ventures by Kerala business houses. Reaching a 10-year milestone is fitting tribute to the support Etihad Airways has received from the state government of Kerala in making our operations a success.”
Etihad Airways’ Indian network to and from Abu Dhabi covers Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mumbai, New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram with a total of 194 flights each week. Jet Airways offers the additional Indian cities of Pune, Lucknow, Mangalore and Goa to Abu Dhabi, as well as numerous domestic connections. Combined, both carriers operate over 250 flights each week between Abu Dhabi and 15 Indian cities.
Massive 3PL offers state-of-the-art facilities for import-driven economy
“We have a fully automated, multi-modal warehousing facility in DWC where we can provide wide range of specialist services under variant temperatures from chilled to controlled to ambient.” – Lionel Smith.
With a towering height, it’s impossible not to notice Lionel Smith in a crowd. This Indian-descent entrepreneur from Kenya also stands out for building a business empire from scratch.
Smith moved to Kenya in 1988 to set up and operate duty free stores at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Working closely with multinationals such as Philip Morris and Samsonite, he set up his own business in distribution of various branded products in 1993.
“I sold my business in 1998 and moved with my family to Dubai to seek opportunities in the aviation industry, an industry I have always been very passionate about,” Smith recalled.
With not much capital but plenty of guts and strong business acumen, he set up Air Cargo Integrators (ACI) in 2001.
Thereafter, doors of opportunities opened for Smith and he seized every moment by working hard, day and night, to build a business that represented a true reflection of his personality – trustworthy, ethical and transparent.
“I started as a one-man show. From sales and customer service to operational functions, handling all paperwork and accounting, I literally did everything!” he fondly recalled his early years in the business.
Nurturing a trusted name
Within just a few years, under Smith’s management, the company expanded steadily, as did the stature of the company and ACI was arguably known as the most reliable airfreight solutions provider with expertise on distress and war torn zones.
Among its customer base of multi-nationals and non-governmental-organisations (NGOs) in particular, ACI was the premier choice when it
came to specialised movement of relief goods and supplies to war-besieged Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We worked directly with all the major NGOs like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Save the Children, UNICEF and WFP. We worked with all the local and International freight forwarders. We have been in partnership with Etihad Airways since 2006 operating a 747 freighter on weekly bases into Kabul Airport. This partnership and support from Etihad has been invaluable to us. Our presence in Afghanistan even after the liberation has been instrumental in the re-habilitation of the country,” said Smith.
Since 2004, ACI continues its freight forwarding activities in Afghanistan.
The company’s highly experienced team is based in Kabul Airport and City to provide services to loyal customers with local handling, clearance and door-to-door delivery within the country.
ACI has been very active in Iraq since the US-led invasion began in 2003.
“We had contracts to operate passenger flights to all the major airports and air bases during the invasion of Iraq.” said Smith and stressed that at its peak, his company was operating over 1,000 flights a year into Iraq.
“From Dubai and Kuwait into Basra, Baghdad, Erbil, Mosul, Kirkuk and other air bases, we covered all of Iraq. We still offer viable solutions to our customers into Iraq.”
ACI continues to be focused on hard to reach areas like Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen and even Libya.
“Our specialty is in areas which are difficult to access. For example, we have been successful in flying wide body freighters with humanitarian supplies into Sana’a, Yemen. We complete difficult air operations in cities hit with natural disasters such as Kathmandu. We have the experience and expertise to provide solutions for emergencies,” Smith said with confidence.
When asked to share his thoughts on how to grow a business, Smith said: “I believe that one needs to be patient and persistent. One needs to develop a stable reputation. One needs to build confidence and credibility among colleagues. These elements will cement your presence in the market and the community at large will have faith your intentions and you will get support from all around you.”
“It took us years to build the platform we stand on today. Our hard work and perseverance; our business ethics and respect for people within our fraternity and most importantly, the high level of standards we have maintained reflects who we are and what we stand for today. Our ability to maintain relationships with our customers who have been with us since 2001, speaks for itself and we look forward to carrying on the same pace and style with new and emerging local and international businesses in this industry,” he added.
By 2013, Smith had decided to expand their company’s scope to include freight forwarding and logistics services.
“We did volumes of air cargo movement until 2013. However, by mid 2013 we experienced a decline in cargo yields and made an executive decision to extend the spectrum of our services to facilitate freight forwarding and 3PL logistics requirements,” he said.
Massive 3PL
An astute businessman, Smith began working on his 3PL warehouse project two years ago with a vision to make it a profitable venture attuned with the needs of the import-driven economy of the UAE.
Strategically located in Dubai World Central (DWC), ACI’s newly-built 8,100-sqm logistic facility is within the precincts of Al Maktoum International Airport, an emerging airport hub serving as a multi-modal logistics hub for more than 12 million tons of freight per year.
This state-of-the-art facility caters to an array of industries, which include: Manufacturing, Industrial, Retail, FMCG, Healthcare, Oil & Gas, Automotive Logistics and Humanitarian Relief Services.
“We have a fully automated, multi-modal warehousing facility in DWC where we can provide wide range of specialist services under variant temperatures from chilled to controlled to ambient,” said Smith.
The warehouse is designed to accommodate up to 10,000 pallet positions; offering range of expert handling services complimented with the latest innovations in warehouse software management systems.
“With this mix we can offer complete solutions to small and medium enterprises,” said Smith.
Smith credits the UAE leadership for his exponential business growth, coupled with patience, good reputation and credibility.
“Dubai has given us many opportunities to fulfill our dreams and ambitions. I attribute my company’s success to the great leadership of our country. And I hope I can contribute towards the growth of this beautiful country in the same way,” the businessman said.
Over the next 10 years, Smith projects the UAE logistics industry to double if not quadruple in size.
“Logistics in the UAE has a great potential. It is growing from strength to strength and I believe that there are huge requirements for logistics and 3PL facilities within new and existing industrial and commercial sectors. Demand is growing rapidly and I see growth of up to 200 percent within the next 10 years,” Smith surmised.
About ACI:
Founded in 2001, Air Cargo Integrators (ACI) provides total integrated package solutions for multi-modal freight requirements. With an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction, the company provides innovative, efficient and cost effective methods to keep the supply chain unbroken.
Based in the United Arab Emirates, ACI’s offices are located in the Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) and Dubai World Central (DWC), Dubai. A global network with offices in Kabul, Mumbai, Nairobi and London Heathrow, ACI is reputed for personalized, reliable and unmatched services.
Visit www.aci.ae for more information
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