In a step set to revolutionise the air freight industry, Emirates SkyCargo officially launched SkyChain, a comprehensive end-to-end IT cargo management system at the Air Cargo Forum, the world’s largest conference and trade exhibition for the air freight industry, in Calgary, Canada.

SkyChain, a centralised cargo reservation and business management solution, offers a number of advantages over existing systems. Benefits include compatibility with the wide host customer systems, capacity to accommodate upgrades and changes through Java architecture, and real-time access and updates, all designed to address the current needs of today’s cargo customer.

Emirates’ divisional senior vice-president cargo Ram Menen said: “There has been a demand for a system that offers flexibility and allows users to move past the constraints of legacy technology. SkyChain will enable us to do this. We can now develop innovative business strategies with confidence, knowing that SkyChain will effectively support these plans.”

Currently, cargo carriers are using systems that are 10 to 30 years old and offer little flexibility. Using the latest Java technology, SkyChain substantially improves business efficiencies across the air freight life cycle.

SkyChain, built for the air cargo business of today and that of the future, is expected to make a significant difference to the air cargo industry.

Recognising the potential of the system, SkyChain will be made available to other cargo carriers through a sales effort led by Mercator, the Dubai-based IT division of the Emirates Group.

Emirates SkyCargo is represented in Malta by Cassar & Cooper Ltd. Emirates flies from Malta to Dubai five times weekly via Larnaca, Cyprus. The Airbus A330-200 used on the Malta route has a freight capacity of 13 tons each way. Enquiries about Emirates SkyCargo can be made at Air Cargo House, Ganni Vassallo Street, Luqa, on telephone number 2166-0102, or at [email protected]