SolitAir CEO Hamdi Osman Reveals Global South Air Cargo Expansion Plans at El Alamein International Airshow 2026

SolitAir Founder and CEO Hamdi Osman outlined the company’s strategic vision at the El Alamein International Airshow 2026, highlighting its ambition to strengthen air cargo connectivity across the Global South. From its Dubai World Central (DWC) hub, SolitAir is developing a technology-enabled express middle-mile network linking Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and selected Chinese markets. Its fleet of Boeing 737-800 Freighters supports scheduled services, charters, tailored programmes and ACMI operations, while advanced technology improves network planning, cargo visibility, asset utilisation and operational reliability. Osman stressed SolitAir’s specialised capabilities for e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods, aerospace components, defence logistics, humanitarian supplies and high-value cargo, where speed, security and predictable transit times are critical. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the company plans to expand routes, increase frequencies and grow fleet capacity. With more than four decades of logistics and business leadership, Osman remains focused on connecting emerging markets and enabling faster, more efficient regional trade.

How are you feeling about the event today, and what is SolitAir’s primary strategic focus at the show? 

We are delighted to be participating in the El Alamein International Airshow 2026. The event has quickly established itself as one of the most important aerospace, defence and aviation platforms connecting Africa, the Middle East and the wider international aviation community. It provides a unique opportunity to engage with government stakeholders, airlines, defence organisations, logistics providers and industry leaders who are shaping the future of regional connectivity. For SolitAir, this event is particularly meaningful because Egypt occupies a strategic position at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Europe. As trade flows between these regions continue to grow, we see tremendous opportunities to strengthen air cargo connectivity and support the movement of high-value, time-sensitive and specialized freight.

Our primary focus at the show is to showcase how SolitAir is helping connect the Global South through a fast, reliable and technology-enabled cargo network. From our hub at Dubai World Central (DWC), we are building a network that links key markets across Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and beyond, creating shorter transit times and more efficient supply chains for businesses and governments alike. We are also highlighting our capabilities in handling specialized cargo, including defence-related logistics, aerospace components, humanitarian supplies, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods and other mission-critical shipments that require the highest standards of safety, compliance and operational reliability. As global supply chains become more complex, customers increasingly need agile and dependable cargo solutions, and that is exactly where SolitAir adds value. Finally, we are here to deepen partnerships across Egypt and the African continent. Africa remains a major pillar of SolitAir’s long-term growth strategy, and Egypt is expected to play a pivotal role in our future network development as we continue our mission of connecting emerging markets and enabling trade across the Global South.”

Drawing on your decades of experience building express logistics across the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian Subcontinent, how is SolitAir reshaping regional air cargo and middle-mile connectivity?

Throughout my career, I have seen one recurring challenge across emerging markets: demand for trade, between many high-growth cities, is growing faster than the cargo connectivity needed to support it. SolitAir was founded to bridge that gap.

We are reshaping regional air cargo by building a dedicated express middle-mile network that connects underserved, high-growth markets across Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and beyond through our hub at Dubai World Central (DWC). Rather than relying solely on traditional global gateways, we are creating faster, more direct and more reliable connections between the economies of the Global South. 

Our fleet of Boeing 737-800 Freighters gives us the agility to serve regional markets efficiently, while our technology-driven approach delivers the speed, visibility and reliability customers increasingly expect. 

Ultimately, our goal is simple: to remove bottlenecks, shorten transit times and enable businesses across emerging economies to trade more seamlessly with one another. That’s what we mean by ‘Connecting the Global South.

How does SolitAir leverage modern fleet management and technology to offer scheduled daily cargo flights connecting major regional trade hubs?

At SolitAir, we combine a modern fleet of Boeing 737-800 Freighters with a technology-driven operating model to deliver cargo services across key trade corridors in the Global South. 

Our integrated platform spans four core service verticals — On Demand Charters, Tailor-Made Programs, Scheduled Flight, ACMI Service — allowing tailored solutions across both high-demand and underserved routes. SolitAir is equipped to handle a wide range of cargo categories including Dangerous Goods,

Technology is at the heart of our business. From network planning and flight operations to cargo visibility and performance monitoring, we use data to optimize schedules, improve asset utilization and ensure consistent service reliability. 

The result is a dependable express middle-mile network that helps customers move time-sensitive cargo faster, more efficiently and with greater predictability across Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and beyond.

With increasing demand for specialized air freight, how is SolitAir optimizing operations to handle time-sensitive e-commerce, pharmaceutical, and high-value cargo shipments?

The growth of e-commerce, healthcare logistics and high-value trade is transforming the air cargo industry, and customers today expect greater speed, visibility and reliability than ever before.

At SolitAir, we have built our network specifically around these requirements. Our scheduled express cargo services, supported by a fleet of Boeing 737-800 Freighters, provide predictable transit times and frequent connectivity across key markets in the Global South. 

We are also leveraging technology to enhance shipment visibility, optimize capacity utilization and improve operational performance across our network. Combined with our specialized handling capabilities for pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, dangerous goods and high-value cargo, this enables us to deliver the speed, security and reliability that customers require. 

Ultimately, our focus is simple: ensuring that critical shipments reach their destination safely, efficiently and on time, every time.

Looking ahead, what are your major expansion plans for SolitAir’s route network and fleet capacity across the Global South over the next 12 to 18 months?

Over the next 12 to 18 months, our focus is on accelerating network growth across the Global South, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, and selected markets in China. We continue to see strong demand for reliable, time-definite cargo connectivity between these fast-growing economies. 

From our hub at Dubai World Central (DWC), we are expanding our reach to connect more trade centers and strengthen key cargo corridors, while increasing frequencies on strategic routes. At the same time, we will continue to grow our fleet of Boeing 737-800 Freighters, giving us the capacity and flexibility to support our customers’ evolving needs. 

Our ambition remains clear: to build the leading express middle-mile cargo network across the Global South, connecting businesses to markets faster, more efficiently, and with greater reliability than ever before.