Airlines using Dnata Cargo's Freezone Air Cargo Terminal (FACT) in the Jebel Ali Free Zone have agreed to a common rate for Jebel Ali and Dubai International Airport despite the 50-kilometre distance between them.

Six airlines are use the FACT on a regular basis (Emirates, KLM, Air Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific, Swissair and Air France) with more showing interest. Earlier this year, FACT was given an IATA three-letter location identifier - ZJF - making it an airport offline point.

Dnata Cargo links the main cargo terminal at Dubai airport with the FACT using its customs-bonded RoadLiner services. The trucks operate twice daily, scheduled, bonded road feeder services under airline-assigned flight numbers between Dubai, other UAE airports and the FACT.

Jean Pierre de Pauw, senior general manager of Dnata Cargo, said, "The airlines are absorbing the trucking cost between DXB and LIE. This agreement to common rate effectively means that cargo rates are the same to and from both Dubai airport and the FACT although Jebel Ali is 50 kilometres from Dubai."

Using the ZJF location identifier and assigned airline flight numbers, shippers anywhere in the world can book cargo directly to end destination ZJF and show Jebel Ali Free Zone Air Cargo Terminal on air waybills as the point of end destination.

Similarly, exporters from Jafz can now have their cargo accepted with full documentation performed at the ZJF air cargo terminal in Jafz and show ZJF as the point of origin on the air waybill.

Any consignment arriving at Dubai International Airport showing ZJF as the point of either origin or destination is now treated as transit cargo and by-passes the storage, acceptance or delivery procedures.

The 1,800 international companies within the Jebel Ali Free Zone are thus able to dispatch and receive air cargo consignments virtually on their doorstep.

Dnata Cargo operates the main air cargo terminal and a dedicated Emirates cargo facility in Dubai Air Cargo Village plus the Freezone Logistics Centre in the Dubai Airport Freezone and the FACT.