Freight Britain

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(Nemanja Seslija/ITP)

The Middle East has established an enviable position within the international airfreight industry. The combination of worldclass facilities, healthy cargo volumes and strong industry representation has created a hive of activity throughout the region. Indeed, it's the incredible pace of development that has truly captured the world's attention, offering a stark contrast to the scenario 75 years ago, when British Airways World Cargo (BAWC) took its first steps in the Middle Eastern arena.

Over the years, the veteran heavyweight has gained valuable experience in transforming its services to coincide with the region's airfreight growth. Its operations have steadily mushroomed throughout the Middle East, including online stations currently located in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.

"British Airways World Cargo has quite a historic presence in the Middle East. As one of the first carriers to enter this market, we actually launched our regional cargo and passenger services at the same time," explains John Cheetham, BAWC's regional commercial manager for the Middle East and South Asia.

"Even 75 years ago, the Middle East was considered a strong transhipment hub and the market has consistently grown stronger and stronger over the years. This has played a very important role in our growth," he adds.

BAWC predominantly carries garments through this region, which are produced in countries such as India, Pakistan and China, where labour is relatively cheap. This cargo is normally transported by sea freight into the Middle East, where it is consolidated and subsequently uploaded onto the British Airways fleet, ready for onward travel into Europe or the United States.

"The majority of these garments are destined to the United States, where BAWC has a particularly strong network, covering approximately 40 stations. This gives us a strong competitive advantage, because we can offer a speedier service to customers," says Cheetham.

Earlier this year, British Airways World Cargo further increased its operations between the Middle East and South Asia, with weekly services connecting Bahrain to the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Lahore. The routes, which are being operated using Boeing 727 freighters, additionally include London, thereby providing customers in Pakistan with greater access to European destinations.

"We have successful and long standing relationships with several companies across Pakistan. It's another extremely important country for BAWC and we want to expand our presence in both the south and north of the country. These two destinations will help achieve this goal and ensure each customer's cargo is being delivered in the most efficient manner possible," says Cheetham.

"We carry a lot of garments on these route too, including surgical types. If these services are successful, which is something we fully expect, then BAWC will definitely start looking at the possibility of extending our presence even further and finding other gateways into the country," he adds.

With such a flurry of activity through the Middle East, it seems British Airways World Cargo has undoubtedly benefited from its early involvement in the Middle East's airfreight industry. However, with a growing number of regional and international operators currently vying for business, the competition has become increasingly cutthroat throughout the region.

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