Africa and India are the world's new airfreight frontiers, according to Emirates SkyCargo senior vice president Ram Menen, who sees both as big global exporters and importers of high quality goods in two to three years.

"We are concentrating a lot on Africa. Africa is our new frontier," he told the Hong Kong Shipping Gazette at the Asian Aerospace 2007 fair in Hong Kong last week. "Nigeria is really swinging, but it is happening everywhere."

Mr Menen said the Arab lands of the north tend to be a few steps ahead of sub-Saharan Africa in the development of a middle class and a readiness to buy and sell air freighted high-value goods. "But it won't take long for them to catch up," he said.

"India," said Mr Menen, "is energising, though it hasn't energised yet. China has a more disciplined work force, but India has the great advantage of [the English] language."

He reckons that 30 per cent of India's population - urban dwellers - are already in the middle class. "And the 70 per cent in the rural areas are well positioned to play a role in manufacturing exports," he said.

Mr Menen also noted that China has focused diplomatically on Africa and invested heavily as part of Beijing's "win-win" policy in which it presents itself as a business partner rather than a source of charity.

Emirates SkyCargo serves 12 cities in the Far East, offering 10 Boeing 747-400F freighter services a week from Hong Kong to Dubai, of which three are code shared with SAS.