Etihad Airways’ President and CEO James Hogan gave the opening address to more than 1,200 delegates attending the World Cargo Alliance (WCA) Conference, which began at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on March 10 and ended on March 13.

Hogan spoke in depth about changes in the global cargo industry and how the Etihad Airways partner alliance increases the airline’s strength and depth in cargo operations. By combining aircraft fleets and networks, Etihad Cargo is recognized as the fifth largest cargo operator in the world by working in close harmony with Jet Airways Cargo, airberlin Cargo, Air Serbia, Alitalia and Air Seychelles Cargo.

The Etihad Cargo division of Etihad Airways generates over $1 billion in annual revenues and is stated to be one of the world’s most successful air cargo operations. It accounted for 88 percent of cargo imports, exports and transfers at Abu Dhabi International Airport in 2015, a year in which it carried 592,090 tons of freight and mail, up four percent on 2014.

Etihad Cargo currently operates a freighter fleet of four Boeing 777F, three Boeing 747s, and four Airbus A330s. An additional Boeing 777 freighter is due to arrive this month with a further Airbus A330 freighter scheduled to arrive in 2017.

Hogan spoke about how the Middle East region continues to outperform global growth rates for cargo and plays an increasingly important role in the flow of world trade and goods, with its geographical importance enhanced as traffic shifts from traditional and established markets to emerging commercial centers in the Middle East, Asia, South America and Africa.