Two new independent cargo carriers in the Middle East are expanding their operations as cargo traffic within the region continues to boom.
Dubai-based Al Rais Cargo took delivery of its third Boeing 727 freighter in June, and plans to have five by the end of 2006. So far the carrier has mainly been flying charter routes to Afghanistan, Iran and Africa, although it is also operating regularly between Bahrain and Baghdad for DHL.
But its manager logistics, Anis Nazir, says scheduled service from Dubai to Tehran may be started in July, and the carrier is also in discussions about basing one of its aircraft in India for both domestic and international services.
Al Rais is also considering leasing Boeing 747 freighters for use on a triangular route from Dubai to Africa, up to Europe, and then back to the United Arab Emirates. Nazir says that talks are being held with two unnamed European carriers about forming a joint venture on the route.
Nazir declines to comment on how the airline is being funded, but Al Rais is a broad-based travel and freight company which already has logistics facilities in Dubai.
“Our aim is to be able to offer a complete range of logistics services, including our own air, trucking and warehousing services,” says Nazir. The carrier has also indicated an interest in starting passenger services in the leisure market.
Meanwhile in Jordan, a group of six industrialists have got together to form Trafic (also known as Transworld Airfreighters) which has been operating an Antonov-12 freighter from Amman to Baghdad since late last year. The carrier has secured a converted Airbus A300 freighter to start flights to Europe – probably Brussels – and north Africa, where Khartoum and Algiers are being looked at.
The carrier was set up because its founders considered there was demand for airlift out of Jordan that was not being met by Royal Jordanian, which operates two A310 freighters to Europe, India and the USA.
PETER CONWAY LONDON
Source: Airline Business
