Emirates Airlines has become one the first air carriers to join a programme initiated by DHL Global Forwarding on air cargo security, according to a report in The Malta Independent.

Emirates Group Security and DHL Global Forwarding signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together and to agree on standard operating procedure for high-value and high-risk air cargo, said the newspaper. The two parties also agreed to share best practices and information on crime trends and to jointly lobby authorities.

Commenting on the new partnership programme, Dr Abdulla Al Hashimi, divisional senior vice-president Emirates Group Security said: "The Emirates Group has always been committed to strengthening security throughout the handling chain. Emirates Group Security will work very closely with DHL, which has already established a strong reputation for itself as a reliable and stable international express and logistics provider."

Robert Larson, senior vice-president and head of Global Security DHL Logistics said: "I believe that this partnership is a good way to convince customers to entrust high-value freight to us."