American Airlines Cargo has appointed Heavyweight Air Express as its general sales agent in the United Arab Emirates.

According to AA, HAE replaces Airline Cargo Resources, which is downsizing its commitments in the region.

“Following a thorough search, we are very pleased to have chosen HAE based on their extensive knowledge of the Middle East market, their innovative approach, comprehensive network and – more crucially – their very strong relationship with some key partners of American Airlines in Dubai,” said Richard Hartmann, regional manager of cargo sales in South Asia, Middle East and Africa.

Since the UAE is an offline market for AA, the majority of the cargo will initially be routed via London Heathrow, where the airline has a large trans-Atlantic network to its hubs in the US.

“We will be deploying our local market experts who know where business opportunities are in this region for American,” said Peter Kerins from HAE Group, based in Dubai. “We have an active customer base across the region and aim to support the expanding American network with freight generated in the thriving economies of the UAE through our offices here.”

HAE was also appointed in mid-2016 as a GSA to cover sales across a number of countries in central, eastern and northern Africa, as well as South Africa, according to AA Cargo.