Singapore Airlines Cargo (SIA Cargo) has opened a dedicated cargo office at Sharjah Airport Freight Center to consolidate the airline’s strategy to use Sharjah as a regional cargo hub in the Middle East.

The new office, opened in partnership with and its long-standing general sales agent SNTTA Cargo, will oversee charter operations, general import/export cargo handling, customer service, reservations, and co-ordination with airport stakeholders.

The SNTTA Cargo staff will be trained by the airline to deliver the same levels of service provided in its other global hubs.

Lee Kong Yang, regional vice president, West Asia and Africa, Singapore Airlines Cargo, inaugurated the office in the presence of Meow-Seng Lim, general manager Gulf, Singapore Airlines, T.Sai Ramesh, sales and operations manager Gulf, Mohin Jassal, general manager, SNTTA Cargo, Vishal Dhamija, business development manager, SNTTA Cargo and Shashi Panicker, head of cargo, Sharjah Aviation Services.

“We shifted all our UAE freighter services to Sharjah as part of a plan to build a strong regional cargo hub. Through this new office, we can strengthen our regional presence through dedicated staff capable of responding to all situations from close quarters,” said Lee.

“As one of the leading cargo carriers in the world, we look at Sharjah as a key transit point. For our long-haul routes between Asia and Europe, Sharjah is a strategic stopover point,' he noted.

'We also seek to grow our Africa routes, as Africa has proven to be more resilient in the face of current economic crisis than the traditional airfreight markets. Additionally, proximity to Sharjah Free Zone is another major advantage of having a cargo hub here,” Lee added.

SIA Cargo operates 84 freighter flights a month from Sharjah Airport, linking it to many major destinations in Europe, Africa, India, Far East, Australia, New Zealand, North and South America.

Unique selling point for SIA Cargo is its global network and its ability to uplift heavy and odd-size cargo using its modern fleet of Boeing 747-400 dedicated freighters.

Jassal said: 'The new office of SNTTA Cargo and Singapore Airlines at Sharjah Airport Freight Center is part of our long term strategy to invest in infrastructure to provide all-round support to Singapore Airlines Cargo in developing this hub.'

'The demand for cargo services in Sharjah and Northern Emirates is growing, and this growth is driven by rising population and new development in the region,' he noted.

“Sharjah Airport is delighted to support Singapore Airlines Cargo, one of the world’s biggest freighter operators, in consolidating its cargo operations through this new office,” said Panicker.

“The Sharjah Freight Center is now fully equipped to serve all international cargo players, having recently invested both in equipment and people. This is supported with additional parking bays and ongoing further expansion of the terminal,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service