Dear xxx,

I’ll start by extending my heartfelt thanks to you and all members of our SkyCargo family for the many successes we’ve had over the last year. Our revenue increased by 8.4% to Dhs10,346 million, our cargo tonnage increased by 16.1% and, for the first time in our history, we carried over two million tonnes in a single financial year.

We transported some loads that really tested our limits – from a 36-tonne hydraulic pump to a fleet of 100 horses taking part in Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. And we did our fair share of growing – 75 new employees and four new Boeing 777F freighters.

Our trophy cabinet is packed with new accolades, such as Air Cargo World’s Diamond Excellence award, which we won at the World Cargo Symposium; Cargo Airline of the Year and Best Cargo Airline Middle East (25 consecutive years) from Air Cargo News Awards in UK; and our 18th straight Best Air Cargo Carrier Middle East award, given to us at the Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards by Cargo News Asia.

The fact that we achieved all this while operating in an air cargo transport market that actually shrunk by 1.5% is testament to the hard work and dedication of each of you, and your efforts are greatly appreciated.

What does the next year have in store for us and for the cargo industry as a whole? Only time will tell, but we must remain steadfast in our mission to connect people with the things that are important to them. Nobody can deny that our industry will continue to face a tougher market, and that our ‘plain sailing’ days are probably behind us for good. But if we continue to operate with commitment, accountability and a can-do attitude, we can no doubt meet any challenge that comes our way this year.

I enjoyed catching up with you in Dubai recently for our Worldwide Cargo Conference, where we had representatives from more than 60 countries and 140 Emirates SkyCargo cities – it’s great to see our ever-expanding team getting stronger and more unified all the time. The two eventful days of the conference gave us the opportunity to exchange valuable knowledge that will benefit our business. They also gave me the opportunity to say farewell.

We stand with pride at the top of our game – the leading, and largest, cargo carrier in the world. We have made this possible together as a team, a family. As I step down, I leave the success of SkyCargo in your hands – I am counting on you to maintain our position at the top. As I said at the conference, I will be keeping an eye on you folks from afar!

I wish you all the best, and continued success for decades to come.

With warm and best regards,