Dubai World Central air cargo volume increases

The Dubai World Central airport handled 89,729 tonnes of air freight during its first full calendar year of operations last year, Dubai Airports said in a statement on Monday. The airport body owns and manages operations and development of the two Dubai airports - Dubai International and DWC. As per the 2011 traffic statistics, DWC's average monthly air cargo volumes totalled 7,477 tonnes compared to 795 tonnes per month recorded during the airport's first half [year] operations in 2010. Cargo transit traffic, meanwhile, constituted 32,989 tonnes or 37 per cent of volume. Aircraft movements for the year came in at 8,198 of which 3,609 (44 per cent) were commercial cargo flights, 4,548 (55.5 per cent) were test and training flights and 41 (0.5 per cent) were general aviation operations, statistics reveal. During 2011, 36 airlines operated into DWC, predominantly as cargo charter operations, Dubai Airports stated. "Although the airport is in its infancy, incremental cargo traffic growth has been steady and continues to ramp up as new operations are launched," Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports, said in a statement. He added that sea to air freight traffic growth was particularly "robust" as airlines took advantage of the airport's bonded link to the Jebel Ali port. "Additionally the road feeder service operating between Dubai International and Dubai World Central facilitated the smooth flow of transit airfreight. Combined, Dubai's two airports handled 2,279,219 tonnes of airfreight in 2011, which is up marginally from 2010," Griffiths pointed out.