HIGH-FLYING MAXIMUS DOUBLES TURNOVER IN 2008
Maximus Air Cargo, the Abu-Dhabi headquartered specialist 'heavy-lifter' of the airfreight world, more than doubled its turnover during 2008 - topping $100 million for the first time.
Total sales revenue of $110.8 million grew by 134 per cent from $47.3 million, driven by expansion in fleet capacity and consistent dispatch reliability.
Freight-ton kilometres flown during the year, the most important indicator of air cargo operations, grew to 347,785 - up 156 per cent from 135,996 in 2007. Hours flown followed a similar pattern, up 137 per cent from 3,687 to 8,744.
The airline is now on target to hit sales of $130 million in 2009, according to president and chief executive Fathi Hilal Buhazza.
"We have achieved exceptional growth during 2008 and the upward trend-line is even steeper for 2009 as we continue to secure additional short and medium term aircraft wetlease contracts," he said.
"Our market share is growing consistently - from government and commercial customers - partly due to increased capacity but mainly because of providing responsive, practical, and cost effective solutions that combine a personal approach with innovative customer service.
"Significantly, our own fleet now accounts for 75 per cent of commercial hours flown during 2008, underlining our capacity to handle high volumes of diverse cargo to world-wide destinations using our own resources and without having to charter additional aircraft."
During 2008, Abu Dhabi Aviation acquired a 95 per cent stake in Maximus which then became a privately-held limited liability company, part of the group that controls Abu Dhabi Aviation and Royal Jet.
Maximus has a fleet of eight all-cargo Antonov An-124-100, Airbus A300-600RF, Ilyushin IL-76TD, and Lockheed Hercules L382G aircraft operating across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The two Lockheed Hercules have been specially-upgraded to carry all kinds of super-heavy cargo. It is the only aircraft that can transport oversized and heavy cargo, drop goods from the air, and land on airstrips/ground of any kind, giving Maximus the advantage of being able to deliver to any location on this planet.
With its Airbus freighters, Maximus operates regular scheduled cargo services on behalf of airlines including Etihad, Iberia, Air France, and Sudan Airways.
And as the exclusive air relief support partner for the UAE Red Crescent, Maximus was one of the few international carriers able to bring supplies to Burma and China following the devastating cyclones and earthquakes there last year. It also carried 390 tons of aid to Yemen after heavy flooding towards the end of last year.
One of its most unusual assignments was to carry a damaged Lockheed Hercules as cargo from Afghanistan for repairs. The aircraft was dismantled and freighted to workshops in Abu Dhabi over three flights.
Maximus is currently flying humanitarian aid to conflict-ridden Sudan, delivering a total of about 4,000 tons of relief supplies to Khartoum, including food, shelter, and medicine.