Jeff LeeHello and welcome to this episode of cargo facts connect, the podcast of cargo facts, the newsletter of record for the air cargo and freighter aircraft industries for over 40 years. I’m Jeff Lee, editor of cargo facts and it’s Friday, the 17th of January. 737-800 freighters continue to spread their footprint around the world, and soon they will enter the fleet of new UAE-based airline SolitAir. Earlier this month, I caught up with Hamdi Osman, chairman and CEO of SolitAir, for an update on the new carrier’s AOC and its plans to develop a narrowbody freighter fleet.
Jeff LeeHello, hamdi. Thank you for joining us here on the cargo Facts Connect podcast. Good to have you.
Hamdi OsmanMorning. Thank you, Jeffrey and happy New Year.
Jeff LeeSame to you. It’s a very exciting year for you, I believe. Lots going on. So first of all, why don’t you just give us an update on? I know you were in the process of applying for your own AOC.So what’s what’s the latest on that?
Hamdi OsmanWell, we, as you know, we have started officially back in October 2024, first of October 2024 and prior to that we have started our AOC process and so far I would say the great news is we are about 80% there and we only. Have the final stretch. And but all the position hold already approved everything on the anything to do with paperwork and everything is all done. And we just some technicality and hopefully by end of the month, we should be up and running with the AOC.
Jeff LeeMm hmm. Great. And now you obviously have, I believe you have 2 737800bcfs on a wet lease basis from ASL Airlines Ireland. How will that change? Once you get your AOC, how will you balance operating your own aircraft versus continuing that ACMI arrangement?
Hamdi OsmanWell, we will get our third wet lease aircraft from ASL. So we will have 3 730-7800 in the network. And we our dry lease aircraft, that’s the one that’s going to be on the AOC, and that’s also coming in. That’s in the process right now. So as a result, we will have 4 aircraft, one in dry least and three in the wet lease.
Jeff LeeOK. And the one you’re dry leasing that’s also a 737 800?
Hamdi OsmanYes, yes, sir.
Jeff LeeOK. So it’s it’s interesting because there aren’t, In fact, you will be the 1st 737 800 freighter operator in the UAE, but generally in the Middle East, there aren’t that many narrowbody freighter operators. Why do you think that is and and how will you kind of change that?
Hamdi OsmanWell, Jeffrey, one thing that I live and I die by, which is keep the main thing, the main thing, which is something that growing up in, in FedEx and spending 34 years in FedEx.One thing I learned from the chairman was Fred Smith, who I work under his command for all these years. Became very successful in the early days because they focus on the type of aircraft that can be able to do the work without any failure when it come to service and expectation and customer expectation especially. In my research on the type of aircraft that I can get started and make sure to be able to hit the ground and run without putting too much about the service because I cannot do anything without having the maximum service level to my end user. Especially to my #1 customers. And every customer is number one for us. As a result of that, I really believe that specialized in something that you know better than trying to try things that you don’t know and to be honest, the best came to analyze after working about closer to one year on this, the 737-800 was the best of its class to do the work that I’m looking for and I wanna be able to do run within the six hours I wanna be able to run within the 20 tons and I wanna be able to do a turn around in less time and be able to give a schedule daily express cargo airline and to do that. Obviously you need the equipment that can be able to work with you without any headache. And you know the rest.
Jeff LeeSo which other types did you also look at before finally selecting the the 800?
Hamdi OsmanMy favorite, which is equally it’s the A 321 Freighter and the only issues was not that much out there in the market, so hence I would have some and I did have some issue trying to get at least. My goal is to have at least minimum of 10 aircraft in the first One 1 1/2 year of operations and was very difficult to try to be able to get a 321 freighters. However is still in the I’m not saying no but still on the radar. But for the time being right now a 737 800 will be very successful to earmark and to have an opportunity to be able to have what I’m looking for.
Jeff LeeMm hmm, and obviously you you are targeting primarily the Middle East and and African markets. What sort of opportunities do you see, for you. And how do you plan to capitalize I mean you I think you previously hinted at possibly even having several aocs around these regions.
Hamdi OsmanCorrect. Now our key points hopefully and it will be Africa, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, all the stans country, all the seven of them. And of course, Turkey and those very critical in this area due to the fact is they are part of the global South and they all operate within the stream of the global South. And if you see my logo under solitaire, one of the things I say connecting the global south, I am very astonished on the global South and the idea of the global South for the last five years since I start working on this project. And the more I get to know about the global South, the more I get excited and as a result I found an opportunity within our regions, the African Middle East, Indian subcontinent stans and Turkey. That to do a daily schedule express cargo airline and that’s what my aim and that’s my goal and hopefully that’s what we’ll be able to give back to our customers.
Jeff LeeAs you further grow and develop your your operations. How much of it is gonna be your own scheduled network versus acmi and charters, you know and other other arrangements like that?
Hamdi OsmanFor the time being, I cannot really tell you how much a percentage or in that I am one of those people. I like to be to have partnership With people under the win win situations and in Arabic we have an expression is called feed westafe and feed in Arabic. It’s the same as in English. You feed me, I feed you back. So it’s the feed is like feed is like feedback. So working with partners and alliance that they have the common goal and have the same benefit at the end of the day is really giving the customer what they’re looking for and what they need at this time.You know I am. You know when people ask me who’s your competitor and I said I I would like not to say I have a competitor because due to the fact is we’d be working with all the airlines with no exception with all the airlines. I’ve been working with all the freight forwarders and with all the express operator and integrators and ecommerce. And if somebody wants to come and join us, work side by side, why not? You know, it is, as they say, slice of pizza have eight slice. You can make it into 16 slice or we can make it into the 32 slice. You know you can share and you know enough. You know, we say our region alone last year have done about 18,000,000 tonnes of cargo in the in our region. Within the region that I say the Africa Middle East Indian subcomponent, you know, and Turkey and the stans. So I think that’s enough for everybody in that pie and we only looking at less than half point, half a percent from that amount. So the rest is left for the airline, for the all cargo airline, for all the charter operator and everyone they can enjoy the rest.
Jeff LeeRight. I mean, it certainly seems to be, you know, a quickly growing pizza or pie and we are seeing a lot of several new operators already moving into this into these markets, but for you, which specific countries? Are the fastest growing or hold the most potential for you?
Hamdi OsmanYou know, if I if I take the Middle East with no exception, all are growing. Just remember one thing in the last I would say, now 2025 so the last four years, the growth of e-commerce have forced a lot of businesses, it doesn’t matter what business you are in. If you did not look into E-commerce, you’re doomed to fail in the next five years. So it doesn’t matter what business you are in on another hand, with that in mind, if you don’t have, you know the the trade around the world moves by only three modes, either by air, by road or by sea. Now road, we understand the challenges in Africa and Middle East Indian subcontinent, you know, and so on and so forth. You know I everybody knows that. It’s it’s obvious. The second also the sea movement, we saw the challenges happening over the last five years and from time to time you have a per here and there. So the only survivor so far and has been over the years. Yes, it goes up and downs and as you know, you know every five years you have the low and then they have to stable and then they didn’t take off and and so on so forth. But I have never seen air cargo going backwards. You know, or any business in the sense it’s the only difference is the percentage, the percentage, how much it grows. So what I see right now with the E-commerce coming in and being disruptive to this industry, I see an opportunity for all of us, for all their operators and as a result of that, I would say Turkey is big, Middle East is big Indian subcontinent with no exception. We we will focus on on on India or Mumbai for example. Just to be one of our early start up in the Indian subcontinent. And before we know it, Bangladesh come along and Dhaka became our second largest airport. You know, so in planning, you know, always plan for the best. And expect more and more of that, you know. So so far, you know, the old expression, you know, plan for the best and expect the worst. No, it does not work that way. It’s it’s, so far, it’s been working on a a from from good going to great and going to even exceptional now. You know, so in planning, you know, almost plan for the best. And expect more and more of that, you know. So so far, you know, the old expression, you know, plan for the best and the expected the worst. You know it does not work that way. It’s it’s so far. It’s been working on a a from from good going to great and going to even exceptional.
Jeff LeeThat’s good to hear. So you you mentioned your plan is around 10 aircraft in the first year or year and a half. Are all of those going to be 737 8 hundreds or at least narrow bodies? Or might we see some of those be wide bodies, potentially?
Hamdi OsmanI would like to stay away from the widebody because the wide body will always be through our alliance and this we will keep it always for the alliance. As I said earlier, Jeffrey, I believe real and all the people around me knows this about me. Keep the main thing, the main thing. Focus about what you know best. Focus on what you can do. And you know, everybody can do a lot of people can do a lot of things. You know, I am one of those people. Like I like to do one thing and do it well, and just focus on that and and this is enough for me and it will be good for me and for the people around me and our partners and everybody can benefit from that, you know, and being and if anything I want to be remembered for the rest of my life, or even after I go, to be the the, the man or the king of narrowbody cargo.
Jeff LeeThat’s great. Well, thank you, Hamdi, for your time. And we certainly look forward to seeing you grow. You and our buddy operations focusing on the main thing as you say, and on your journey towards becoming the the king of narrowbody freighters. Good luck and thank you again, Hamdi.
Hamdi OsmanThank you. Thank you, Jeffrey.
Jeff LeeThat was SolitAir Chairman and CEO Hamdi Osman. And that’s all the time we have today. For more coverage of the freighter aircraft and AAM market, visit cargofacts.com. Thank you very much for tuning in, and join us again next time.
