Nabil Sultan promoted; no replacement yet for Emirates SkyCargo head

Nabil Sultan, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo, has been promoted to the role of Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales and Country Management, Emirates.

Sultan’s promotion is among a slate of senior appointments announced by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, as part of, what the group describes, “getting ready for the next phase of growth”.

The latest announcement has neither made any reference to Sultan’s current role nor included a replacement for Sultan at Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates Airline. The STAT Trade Times has reached out to Emirates SkyCargo, and we are yet to receive an official response.

In the latest executive shake up at Emirates Group, 19 executives were promoted including eight UAE nationals, demonstrating the bench strength of UAE talent and internally developed talent. Six women are added to the Group’s senior executive ranks. All appointments are effective March 1, 2024.

“Keeping pace with Dubai’s vision for growth and prosperity, the Emirates Group has also set clear and ambitious plans for fleet, network, and business growth for the next 15 years. To effectively execute these plans, the Group is strengthening its executive bench, together with internal business and operational alignment,” says Maktoum in an official statement

Sultan was appointed to his current position in June 2013 when then head of Emirates SkyCargo Ram Menen retired.

Interestingly, Sultan was in Mumbai last week attending the tenth edition of Air Cargo India. At the three-day exhibition and conference, Emirates SkyCargo made a very impressive presence with their booth. Emirates SkyCargo was also the winner of the International Airline of the Year at the STAT Times International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo, given away at the Mumbai event.

“We will keep raising the bar to ensure Emirates SkyCargo remains a first-class partner for our global customers,” Sultan said in an official release after accepting the award.

Marking just over 10 years at the helm of Emirates SkyCargo, Sultan provided an in-depth look at the evolution of the airline and an analysis of the 2024 forecast in a fireside chat, underscoring the airline’s confidence in air freight’s essential role in global trade.

Sultan’s career spans more than 30 years in commercial operation roles within Emirates. Educated in the U.S., he holds a degree in Computer Science and Management Information Systems from the University of Portland, Oregon. He began his career with Emirates in 1990 and two years later joined the company’s management training programme within the commercial operations department.

Between 1995 and 2008, Sultan gained extensive commercial experience at Emirates, working in various management and leadership roles both within and outside the UAE heading commercial operations for both the U.K. & then India for more than eight years after which he moved back to UAE as a Senior Vice President for Commercial Operations, West Asia, followed by Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Gulf, Middle East, and then Senior Vice-President, Commercial Operations for Europe & CIS. In 2009, he was promoted to Divisional Senior Vice President, Revenue Optimisation and Distribution for the airline.