Cargo Planning Controller

Job Purpose

A World leader in air cargo. We possess a geographical advantage that enables us to reach over 140 destinations across 6 continents. We are able to cater to two-thirds of the world’s population in just 8 hours and serve major international trade regions quickly and efficiently. Our SkyCargo group works in partnership to facilitate global trade and connect customers with their destinations. We have a young, efficient, wide-bodied fleet, with ample capacity to transport cargo through our state-of-the-art, multi-airport hub in Dubai and adapt to our customers ever-changing needs.

The role of the Cargo Planning Controller is responsible for planning, coordinating, and optimising freighter operations across the cargo network to ensure maximum schedule reliability, payload efficiency, and commercial performance. The role oversees operational planning, aircraft utilisation, cargo flow management, and coordination with internal stakeholders, ground handlers, and airline partners to support safe, efficient, and profitable freighter operations.

In this role, you will:

• Manage and maintain the operational schedule of the freighter network, ensuring alignment with commercial requirements, operational feasibility, and integration with passenger and interline partner schedules.
• Coordinate medium- and short-term freighter operational planning with internal departments including Cargo Capacity Control, Network Control Centre, Flight Operations, Engineering, and outstation management teams, as well as external wet lease operators.
• Monitor daily and future freighter operations to identify operational constraints, schedule risks, aircraft limitations, or capacity bottlenecks, and proactively implement mitigation measures to minimise disruptions.
• Analyse cargo flows through major hubs and outstations to optimise network connectivity, aircraft routing, payload performance, and cargo uplift opportunities.
• Review aircraft deployment plans and tail assignments to ensure optimal utilisation of fleet capabilities, while identifying opportunities to improve payload performance and operational efficiency.
• Liaise with wet lease operators, airport authorities, ground handling agents, and third-party service providers to ensure operational readiness, schedule compliance, and effective handling of irregular operations.
• Support the planning and carriage of specialised, temperature-sensitive, dangerous goods, and outsized cargo in accordance with International Air Transport Association and International Civil Aviation Organization regulations and company operational procedures.
• Monitor fleet utilisation levels to ensure contractual utilisation targets for leased aircraft are achieved while maximising the productivity of company-owned freighter assets.
• Prepare operational analyses, utilisation reports, and schedule performance reviews, providing recommendations to enhance network reliability, operational efficiency, and revenue generation.
• Participate in disruption management and operational recovery planning to ensure continuity of cargo operations during aircraft, airport, weather, or network-related disruptions.

Qualification

To be considered for this role, you must meet the below requirements:

• Have completed a Degree or Honours (12+3 or equivalent) in a relevant field combined with 5+ years of experience in Logistics/Cargo - Air Cargo specifically.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Experience in the air cargo industry or in a ground handling cargo section with a minimum in a supervisory capacity.
• Experience in airline capacity & revenue optimisation management
• Excellent knowledge of the commercial fundamentals of freighters including selling rates and aircraft costs and freighter profitability.
• Superior communication skills (both written and oral) especially when dealing with senior and technical colleagues both within and external to EK.
• Wide range of technical skills across a wide range of aircraft operations, cargo loading, aircraft and crew
• Scheduling, slots and aircraft engineering.
• Should have good knowledge of IATA regulations, rules and procedures.
• Should have completed approved Cargo Acceptance and Handling courses including Special Cargo Handling and Acceptance, Cargo Product Knowledge, Advanced Load Control and Freighter Load Control.At Emirates, we're committed to providing our employees with opportunities to grow and develop in their careers. So if you're looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity, apply today and join our team!

Salary & benefits

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Join us in Dubai and enjoy an attractive tax-free salary and travel benefits that are exclusive to our industry, including discounts on flights and hotels stays around the world. Find out what it’s like to live and work in our fast-paced, cosmopolitan home city in the Dubai Lifestyle section of our website www.emirates.com/careers