Emirates SkyCargo Archives

April 4, 2022

Cargo carrier reaches 1 billion vaccine doses milestone 18 months after transporting the first trial shipment of COVID-19 vaccines

Vaccines moved to more than 80 destinations through Dubai, supporting local vaccination programmes

Dubai, UAE 4 April 2022– Emirates SkyCargo has transported more than 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines on its aircraft. The air cargo carrier has achieved this historic milestone within a span of 18 months from the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines trialled in October 2020. More than 4,200 tonnes of COVID-19 vaccines, equivalent to over 1 billion doses, have been moved to over 80 destinations on over 2,000 Emirates flights. Close to two-thirds of the 1 billion doses were transported to developing countries.

Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo, said: “From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Emirates SkyCargo has been focused on supporting global communities in their recovery from the devastating effects of the virus and we have prioritised assistance to developing countries. The strategic location of our Dubai hub combined with the strengths of our modern fleet of widebody aircraft, our purpose built facilities and capabilities in moving temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals allowed us to transport COVID-19 vaccines securely, reliably and rapidly from one corner of the globe to another. Ahead of World Health Day, we’re incredibly proud of our global Emirates SkyCargo team who have pulled out all stops during the pandemic to keep supply chains for essential goods like vaccines up and running. ”

As early as August 2020, Emirates SkyCargo was one of the first global air cargo carriers to begin mapping out the global logistics for the movement of potential vaccines for COVID-19 transport. In October 2020, Emirates announced that it would be setting aside a dedicated GDP certified airside hub for transport of COVID-19 vaccines. During the same month, working with its logistics partners, the cargo division of Emirates transported trial shipments of COVID-19 vaccines through Dubai.

In January 2021, Emirates SkyCargo teamed up with leading Dubai-based companies to form the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance to speed up distribution of vaccines through Dubai to developing countries. In February 2021, the carrier signed an MoU with UNICEF to prioritise transport and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in support of the COVAX initiative. By early April 2021, Emirates SkyCargo had already transported more than 50 million doses of vaccines.

In June 2021, Emirates SkyCargo expanded its pharma cool chain infrastructure at Dubai International Airport, allowing it to store an additional estimated 60-90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines at any one point of time. With the global scaling up of vaccine distribution and administration, Emirates SkyCargo facilitated transport of larger volumes of COVID-19 vaccines from manufacturing origins to destinations, reaching 250 million doses by September 2021 and 600 million doses by December 2021.

Emirates SkyCargo is one of the leading global air cargo carriers for the transport of temperature sensitive pharmaceutical cargo. In addition to COVID-19 vaccines, the carrier transports other critical life-saving medicines and treatments on its flights to more than 140 destinations across six continents. An estimated 200 tonnes of pharmaceutical cargo are flown every day on Emirates’ aircraft.

December 20, 2021

More than 400 million doses flown to countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia
Over 200 million doses flown in Oct and Nov 2021

Emirates SkyCargo has announced that it has crossed a major milestone in the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines with 600 million doses flown on its flights. Since October 2020, the carrier has transported more than 2.8 million kilograms (2800 tonnes) of COVID-19 vaccines from 35 origins to over 80 destinations.

“Emirates SkyCargo remains committed to the rapid distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable communities around the world. When we formulated our COVID-19 distribution strategy in 2020, Emirates SkyCargo prioritised the movement of COVID-19 vaccines through our Dubai hub to developing countries. I’m happy to announce that nearly two thirds of the total vaccines we transported were headed to destinations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. With our extensive reach across six continents, our wide-body capacity and expertise in cool chain logistics, Emirates SkyCargo will continue to be a reliable partner for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the months to come,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.

With the increasing roll-out of vaccination and booster campaigns across global markets, Emirates SkyCargo witnessed a steady increase in the demand for transportation of COVID-19 vaccines in the second half of 2021. In October and November 2021 alone, Emirates SkyCargo moved more than 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, almost one third of the total COVID-19 vaccines transported by the carrier since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key highlights of Emirates SkyCargo’s COVID-19 vaccine transportation programme

Close to 2.8 million kilograms (2800 tonnes) of vaccines transported on Emirates flights, equivalent to nearly 600 million doses since October 2020
Vaccines flown from 35 origins to 80 destinations across six continents
7 million- most number of COVID-19 vaccine doses moved on a single flight
Asia ( 185 million doses), Africa (150 million doses) and the Middle East (70 million doses) continue to be priority markets for vaccine delivery
North America and Europe are the main origin regions for COVID-19 vaccines for Emirates SkyCargo
Emirates SkyCargo’s GDP certified pharma terminal in Chicago has handled more than 160 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines flown from the US to countries around the world.

Emirates SkyCargo has been a key global player in the air distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and other relief materials and essential commodities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The air cargo carrier offers sophisticated cool chain solutions for pharmaceutical cargo with Emirates Pharma- a specialised three-tiered air transportation product designed for temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals and backed by Emirates’ state of the art GDP certified pharma infrastructure at its cargo hub in Dubai. In June 2021, Emirates SkyCargo expanded its pharma cool chain infrastructure at Dubai International Airport, allowing it to store an additional estimated 60-90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Emirates SkyCargo offers cargo capacity on more than 2,800 weekly flights connecting more than 140 destinations across six continents.

July 6, 2021

Dubai, UAE 6 July 2021 – Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, today announced the achievement of a milestone of 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines flown via Dubai, 136 years to the day, July 6, 1885, when Louis Pasteur administered the first attenuated vaccine to a human patient.

Over the next 135 years, the development of vaccines for various diseases grew by leaps and bounds. Most recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists across the world raced to develop vaccination solutions to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Emirates SkyCargo has played a crucial role in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines from manufacturing locations to destinations around the world, particularly to developing countries.

Some of the key highlights of Emirates SkyCargo’s COVID-19 vaccine transportation include

More than 600 tonnes of COVID-19 vaccines transported on Emirates aircraft, the equivalent of 150 million doses
COVID-19 vaccines flown to more than 80 destinations across six continents
More than 3,500 packages of COVID-19 vaccines transported
Six different COVID-19 vaccines transported.

Emirates SkyCargo is a global leader in the air transportation of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals including COVID-19 vaccines. The air cargo carrier has dedicated GDP certified infrastructure at its Dubai hub for handling pharmaceuticals. Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the carrier flew close to 200 tonnes of pharmaceuticals every day on its flights.

In January 2020, Emirates SkyCargo joined hands with DP World, International Humanitarian City and Dubai Airports to form the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance aimed at rapidly transporting COVID-19 vaccines through Dubai to developing countries. This was shortly followed up in February 2020 with an MoU with UNICEF to expedite the transportation of COVID-19 vaccines under the COVAX initiative.

June 8, 2021

Addition of 94 cool room pallet positions to existing EU GDP compliant infrastructure at Dubai International Airport provides more handling capacity for temperature sensitive pharma, including COVID-19 vaccines
Carrier has so far transported 75 million COVID-19 vaccine doses; aims for 100 million by end June 2021

Dubai, UAE, 08 June 2021– Emirates SkyCargo is further strengthening its temperature sensitive pharma and vaccine handling capabilities in Dubai with the extension of its fully automated cool room with 94 airline pallet positions at its EU GDP certified dedicated pharma facility at Dubai International Airport.

The extended cool room will provide an additional 2600 square metres of temperature controlled environment (2-25 degrees Celsius) for the storage and handling of vaccines and other pharmaceuticals at Emirates SkyCargo’s purpose built GDP certified facility, reinforcing the carrier’s position as an industry leader for the air transportation of pharmaceuticals and providing additional capacity at its Dubai hub to meet the growing demand for transportation of COVID-19 vaccines. The new extension can hold an estimated 60-90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines at one time.

Transportation of COVID-19 vaccines

Emirates SkyCargo continues to play a leading role in the international distribution of COVID-19 vaccines having transported over 75 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines on more than 250 flights to over 60 destinations since late 2020.

“Emirates SkyCargo is proud to have flown over 350 tonnes of COVID-19 vaccines around the world, delivering much needed support to communities that are still heavily impacted by the current wave of the pandemic. However, we are always looking ahead and we anticipate that there will be an increase in demand to transport vaccines to developing nations during the second half of the year. Already, we have seen a ramping up of COVID-19 vaccine volumes that were transported over the last few weeks in line with increased manufacturing. We expect to reach the 100 million doses milestone well before the end of this month,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.

“The last six months have been a valuable and mutual learning experience for Emirates SkyCargo and as well for pharmaceutical manufacturers and our logistics partners. We have been able to apply these learnings to make the process of vaccine transportation faster and more efficient, providing a valuable boost to the next phase of COVID-19 vaccine transportation, as well as for other temperature sensitive pharma products in the future” added Sultan.

Emirates SkyCargo was one of the first air cargo carriers to begin extensive preparations during the early stages of the pandemic for the transportation of COVID-19 vaccines. In October 2020, the carrier announced the setting up of a dedicated GDP certified airside hub in Dubai for transporting COVID-19 vaccines. The carrier has over 20,000 sq metres of EU GDP certified cool chain infrastructure for storing and handling COVID-19 vaccines in Dubai. Emirates SkyCargo also has more than 50 cool dollies dedicated for pharmaceuticals at its hub protecting temperature sensitive shipments such as vaccines during transit between the aircraft and the cargo terminal.

In addition to COVID-19 vaccines, Emirates SkyCargo has transported thousands of tonnes of other essential commodities such as PPE, pharmaceuticals and related supplies on its flights. The carrier recently set up a humanitarian airbridge initiative to transport urgent COVID-19 relief items to India. Under the initiative, the air cargo is offering any available cargo capacity on its flights from Dubai to nine destinations in India, free of charge for NGOs for transporting medical and relief items.

February 16, 2021

Under UNICEF’s Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative, Emirates will prioritise transport and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines and related supplies
Initiative in support of COVAX facility for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines

Dubai, UAE, 16 February 2021– Emirates SkyCargo has signed an agreement with UNICEF to prioritise the transport of COVID-19 vaccines, essential medicines, medical devices and other critical supplies to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement is the latest in a series of measures undertaken by the freight division of Emirates to support global communities in recovering from the devastating impact of COVID-19.

Watch a video announcing Emirates SkyCargo’s participation in UNICEF’s initiative.

The Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative spearheaded by UNICEF brings together a number of partners collectively capable of distributing essential supplies to more than 100 markets in support of the COVAX Facility, the global effort aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. UNICEF’s Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative will also act as a blueprint for collective global partnership in the face of future health and humanitarian crises.

“Every single day counts in the fight against COVID-19 and the sooner that communities can have access to COVID-19 vaccines, the sooner they can curb the spread of the virus and get back on their feet. As a global player flying to more than 130 destinations, Emirates SkyCargo has been committed to the fight against the pandemic from the very early stages and we have rolled out a number of initiatives to expedite the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines through Dubai, starting with our GDP certified dedicated airside hub. Through our partnership with UNICEF, we will be taking yet another step to prioritise and facilitate the rapid and secure movement of COVID-19 vaccines particularly to communities hard hit by the disease,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.

Emirates SkyCargo is an industry leader in the air cargo sector for the transport of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals including vaccines. The cargo carrier features a global network spanning six continents, a modern fleet of widebody only aircraft as well as state of the art EU GDP certified infrastructure at its hub in Dubai for the secure transport of pharmaceuticals and vaccines.

In October 2020, Emirates SkyCargo announced that it was setting up the world’s largest EU GDP certified airside distribution hub dedicated for the storage and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. With over 15,000 sq metres of storage space available for vaccines, Emirates SkyCargo is able to store large quantities of the COVID-19 vaccine in Dubai, and fly in smaller quantities regularly to markets with limited cold chain infrastructure, reducing the need for large scale storage solutions.

In January 2021, under the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emirates SkyCargo joined hands with three other Dubai-based entities- DP World, International Humanitarian City and Dubai Airports to form a COVID-19 vaccine alliance for rapid transport of COVID-19 vaccines to the developing world through Dubai.

For more information on UNICEF’s Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative: click here

February 1, 2021

Under the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Emirates SkyCargo, Dubai Airports, DP World and International Humanitarian City join hands to distribute vaccines by air, land and sea

Combined expertise, along with global air routes, sea ports and logistics networks, will speed up vaccine deployment, especially to developing countries

Dubai’s vaccine storage and distribution facilities ramped up, building on existing position as a global hub for the pharmaceutical industry

Under the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai has launched the Vaccine Logistics Alliance to speed up distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world through the emirate.

In support of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) COVAX initiative and its efforts to equitably distribute two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021, the Dubai Vaccines Logistics Alliance combines the expertise and global reach of Emirates airline with DP World’s worldwide network of ports and logistics operations, along with the infrastructure of Dubai Airports and International Humanitarian City to distribute vaccines worldwide. The distribution will particularly focus on emerging markets, where populations have been hard-hit by the pandemic, and pharmaceutical transport and logistics are challenging.

The alliance is working with a broader set of stakeholders including pharmaceutical manufacturers, forwarders, government agencies and other entities for transportation of vaccines.

Watch an introductory video about the alliance here.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group said: “We currently stand at the cusp of a historic moment with the rollout of vaccines for countering COVID-19, a pandemic that has disrupted the lives of people around the world. The UAE is leading the world in terms of rolling out the vaccine, and in line with HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision to facilitate a global solution for the wellbeing of communities, the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance brings together key organisations to expedite the worldwide transport of urgently needed vaccines through Dubai.

Sheikh Ahmed added: “Each alliance partner brings to the table a specific and complementary set of strengths and capabilities in vaccine distribution, allowing us to build a 360-degree solution that harnesses the combined logistical and infrastructural advantages of Dubai as a hub. Together, we are able to store a large volume of vaccine doses at a time and bring in and distribute vaccines to any point around the world within 48 hours.”

International Humanitarian City, the world’s largest hub for humanitarian logistics based in Dubai will be a vital partner in the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance bringing its vast expertise in humanitarian logistics for aid materials such as food and medicine in markets with limited infrastructure. IHC and Emirates SkyCargo have already partnered on many humanitarian cargo flights and earlier in 2020, also signed an MoU for closer collaboration for humanitarian assistance flights.

HE Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, the Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Supervision of International Humanitarian City, said: “Under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, International Humanitarian City, based in Dubai, has evolved to become the largest humanitarian hub in the world, playing a pivotal role in facilitating first responses to humanitarian crises across the globe. Since the current global crisis began, the IHC has facilitated the distribution of over 80% of the WHO’s global medical response in the fight against COVID-19.”

“Dubai will make sure this fight continues with the Vaccine Logistics Alliance transporting urgently needed vaccines and medical supplies to the most vulnerable communities across the world, when they need it most. We are all responsible for doing what we can to end this pandemic.”

DP World, a leader in global supply chain solutions with ports, terminals and logistics operations on every continent, is joining Dubai’s initiative to transport, store and distribute COVID-19 vaccines. DP World logistics operations will facilitate the collection of vaccines from manufacturing sites in places like Europe, the US and India and deliver them to airports, seaports and dryports for onward transportation. DP World’s global, GDP-compliant, network of warehousing and distribution hubs will be used to store vaccines for time and temperature sensitive distribution to hospitals and clinics. DP World will deploy its track-and-trace technology, such as Cargoes Flow, to give real-time information on the location of shipments, and continual temperature control and monitoring. DP World’s ports and terminals, including Jebel Ali in Dubai which is one the largest in the world, will be used to ship, store and distribute medical devices, such as syringes and wipes.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, said: “Humanity will only defeat coronavirus if vaccines can be distributed everywhere. Dubai’s position as a global hub means we have a responsibility to combine our infrastructure and capabilities for this common goal. DP World has kept trade flowing throughout the pandemic ensuring countries received the vital supplies they need. We are proud to use our ports, terminals and smart logistics operations to distribute vaccines and medical devices to contribute to fighting the pandemic.”

On Wednesday, DP World and UNICEF also announced a wide-ranging partnership to support the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and related immunisation supplies in low- and lower-middle-income countries. The new partnership – with a multi-million dollar value – is the largest to date to support UNICEF’s lead role in procuring and supplying 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines and auxiliary vaccination supplies on behalf of the COVAX Facility.

Emirates SkyCargo is a global leader in the air transportation of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals, including vaccines. The air cargo carrier has over two decades of experience in transporting pharmaceuticals across the world and has developed extensive infrastructure and capabilities for the secure and rapid transportation of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals.

“Emirates SkyCargo has taken a global leadership position during the COVID-19 pandemic for the distribution of medical supplies and PPE. We recently activated the world’s largest airside hub dedicated to the storage and global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines at Dubai South. With our modern wide-body aircraft fleet, our network reaching more than 135 cities across six continents including major pharma hubs, and our expertise in handling pharma shipments, we are well placed to work with our partners in the Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance in order to make sure that the COVID-19 vaccines are reaching every corner of the globe, especially cities in emerging markets,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.

Emirates SkyCargo has over 15,000 square metres of cool chain space for pharmaceuticals across its terminals in Dubai and has already had a head start for COVID-19 vaccine logistics, having already moved COVID-19 vaccines on its flights during the month of December.

Dubai Airports, operator of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC), will be contributing to the efforts of the newly formed Dubai Vaccine Logistics Alliance by providing additional space at dedicated facilities at Dubai International (DXB). The repurposed cargo facilities will act as storage for COVID-19 vaccines that will be transported through its interlinked operations at DXB and DWC. Working closely with Emirates SkyCargo and Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Airports will ensure that the additional capacity for vaccine storage meets all the stringent regulatory guidelines for transportation of COVID-19 vaccines, and that related processes are streamlined with stakeholders and business partners.

CEO of Dubai Airports, Paul Griffiths, said; “Dubai’s central location means it is easily accessible to almost 80% of the world’s population within just four hours, making the decision to join forces and develop the world’s preeminent distribution hub a very strategic one. Over the coming months, there will undoubtedly be a major surge in demand for the efficient, safe and reliable global distribution of high volumes of COVID-19 vaccines, and we wanted to be ready to respond to and accommodate that demand. This alliance is timed perfectly and will not only support a global need, but also support the future of travel.”

December 27, 2020

In recognition of the invaluable contribution by the healthcare ecosystem, Emirates SkyCargo transports the vaccine free of charge
Vaccine doses flown, offloaded and cleared on priority basis on arrival in Dubai at dedicated Emirates SkyPharma facility

Emirates SkyCargo has notched yet another milestone by flying in COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech to the UAE for the first time for the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The vaccines were transported from Brussels on Emirates flight EK 182 on 22 December 2020, arriving at Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 22.15 local time.

Watch a video of the vaccines arriving in Dubai here.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Group said: “Emirates is proud to be transporting the first batch of Pfizer vaccines for COVID-19 into the UAE for the Dubai Health Authority. Our healthcare ecosystem has played an absolutely critical role in every step of the fight against COVID-19. I would like to thank everyone who has worked unceasingly over the last year to protect the lives of those most vulnerable against the disease. In recognition of their immense contribution for the wellbeing of everyone in the UAE, it has been our honour to transport these vaccines free of charge on our flight.”

Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo said: “At Emirates SkyCargo we are doing our part to join Dubai’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the effective management of the pandemic by Dubai’s visionary leadership, the city has retained its position as a global logistical hub for connecting vital cargo including PPE, medical supplies, vaccines, food and other essential items. Emirates SkyCargo has set up the world’s largest airside hub dedicated to distributing COVID-19 vaccines and we stand ready to support not just Dubai, but countries around the world, including markets with limited cool chain infrastructure with our advanced capabilities. By transporting COVID-19 vaccines across our extensive network, we look forward to helping people around the world get back on their feet after the devastating impact of the pandemic.”

On arrival at DXB, the containers with the vaccines were unloaded on priority from the aircraft and then taken to Emirates SkyCargo’s dedicated pharma facility Emirates SkyPharma to await clearance for delivery.

Emirates SkyCargo is no stranger to transporting vaccines and other temperature sensitive pharmaceutical cargo. The carrier has more than two decades experience in transporting pharmaceuticals on its aircraft and has set up state of the art EU GDP certified facilities dedicated for storing and handling pharma cargo in Dubai. Emirates SkyCargo has also established a global Pharma Corridors programme working with ground handlers and local airports at major pharma origin and destination stations for enhanced cool chain protection. The current pharma network covers over 30 cities across the world including Brussels.

More recently, Emirates SkyCargo has set up the world’s largest dedicated airside storage and distribution hub for COVID-19 vaccines in Dubai with the capacity to store up to an estimated 10 million doses of vaccine at the 2-8C temperature range at any one point of time. With its advanced infrastructure, extensive network and modern all wide-body aircraft fleet, Emirates SkyCargo can transport COVID-19 vaccines rapidly and securely from manufacturing locations to destinations across six continents. Emirates SkyCargo has already commenced distribution of COVID-19 vaccines from a range of manufacturers and geographies.

November 11, 2020

– Air cargo carrier responding to market demand for additional cargo capacity
– Demonstrates agility and innovation in business response to the pandemic

Dubai, UAE, 11 Nov 2020– Emirates SkyCargo has started utilising its Airbus A380 aircraft on select cargo charter operations to transport urgently required cargo across its network. The first dedicated Emirates A380 ‘mini-freighter’ successfully transported medical supplies between Seoul and Amsterdam via Dubai.

Working collaboratively with the Engineering and Flight Operations teams within Emirates, the air cargo carrier has optimised the cargo capacity of the Airbus A380 to safely transport around 50 tonnes of cargo per flight in the bellyhold of the aircraft.

Emirates SkyCargo has introduced dedicated cargo operations on the A380 aircraft in response to the surge in the demand for air cargo capacity required for the urgent transportation of critical goods, including medical supplies for combatting COVID-19 in regions experiencing a second wave of the pandemic.

Emirates SkyCargo is working on further optimising the capacity of its Airbus A380 aircraft through measures such as seat loading of cargo and has planned more dedicated cargo flights on aircraft for the month of November.

A leading player in the global air cargo industry with a destination network spread across six continents, Emirates SkyCargo has continued to introduce innovative cargo solutions in line with rapidly evolving market conditions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The freight division of Emirates offers a variety of options for cargo capacity and connectivity to best match its customers’ requirements. Emirates SkyCargo operates dedicated cargo flights on its Boeing 777-F and its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft including 14 modified Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft with seats removed from Economy Class for additional cargo volume.

Through its responsiveness and agility, the air cargo carrier has been able to maintain the flow of essential goods and trade across international markets during the pandemic, often providing a much required helpline to communities around the world.

Taking a lead in the supply chain for the global distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, Emirates SkyCargo announced recently that it set up the world’s largest EU GDP compliant airside hub in Dubai dedicated for the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition to world-class fit for purpose infrastructure for the storage of the vaccine, the facility would also be able to offer value added services such as repackaging, re-icing and redistribution of the vaccine. The air cargo carrier has also set up a rapid response team to coordinate requests for the movement of the vaccine.

Emirates SkyCargo currently offers cargo capacity on scheduled flights to 135 destinations across the world.

September 27, 2020

The two organisations will cooperate to develop logistics solutions for crisis relief operations
Emirates SkyCargo to be carrier of first resort for International Humanitarian City’s relief efforts

Dubai, UAE, 23 September 2020- Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates and International Humanitarian City (IHC), the world’s largest hub for humanitarian aid, have signed an MoU to cooperate on humanitarian logistics and crisis relief solutions. The MoU was signed by Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo and Giuseppe Saba, CEO, International Humanitarian City.

The partnership between the two entities underlines Dubai’s position as an international gateway for the rapid deployment of aid and relief efforts directed at humanitarian crises.

Under the terms of the MoU, Emirates SkyCargo and IHC will work together to develop innovative logistics solutions for effective crisis relief operations. IHC will also approach Emirates SkyCargo as the air cargo carrier of first resort for transportation or urgently required aid materials to affected destinations. In addition, the two organisations will work together to share know-how and develop best practices around the transportation of specialised cargo for relief efforts.

“We are a carrier with a strong sense of social responsibility. Over the years, Emirates SkyCargo has operated a number of flights and transported relief cargo on behalf of International Humanitarian City in response to humanitarian disasters and crises around the world, including most recently in the aftermath of the explosions at Beirut. Today, we are delighted to consolidate our partnership and develop a platform which will enable a more coherent and rapid response for aid delivery, and facilitate the development of robust and innovative solutions for humanitarian emergency response. With our wide-body aircraft fleet and our global network centred in Dubai, we look forward to supporting International Humanitarian City as their preferred carrier for delivering aid to affected communities around the globe,” said Nabil Sultan.

“I would like first to express all of my appreciation to Emirates SkyCargo for their support in the past for IHC and its community,” said Giuseppe Saba. “A special thanks goes to the leadership of Emirates for the initiative taken immediately after the blast in Beirut, by launching the initiative for supporting the Lebanese population and facilitating many airlifts of humanitarian aid with favourable rates. I’m honoured to sign this MoU, which is a milestone for further expansion of new possibilities which started with the Lebanon initiative. It transforms our cooperation into something which goes beyond the use of the air assets and the large reach of Emirates SkyCargo, which still logistically represents a crucial worldwide network for the IHC Community in emergency response. The high standards and excellent service delivery of Emirates SkyCargo will continue to add a lot of value to the IHC community crisis response mechanism and our synergies will enable us to work together for One Humanity,” he added.

During the month of August, Emirates launched a humanitarian initiative, creating an airbridge between Dubai and Beirut to facilitate transportation of aid material in the aftermath of the explosions at the Port of Beirut. Emirates continues to work with local and international NGOs including the IHC for this relief effort, which is also supported by worldwide donations of cash and Emirates Skywards Miles from across the globe through the Emirates Airline Foundation.

About Emirates SkyCargo

Emirates SkyCargo is a global connector of essential goods and a facilitator of international trade through its cargo flights across six continents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Emirates SkyCargo responded quickly to build its network of global cargo destinations, serving as a seamless conveyor belt for a range of commodities from urgently required PPE, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, food and other essential goods. Currently Emirates SkyCargo operates weekly scheduled flights to more than 120 destinations on its wide-body fleet of aircraft including 11 Boeing 777-Fs.

About International Humanitarian City

Founded in 2003, IHC is the only Non-Profit Free Zone Authority and is hosting approx. 80 members between Humanitarian Organisations and Commercial Companies. IHC and its community have developed special projects such as the Humanitarian Logistics data bank, Flash media studio, and established partnerships with Academic institution looking into innovation and transfer of knowledge for the preparation of the future humanitarian workers. www.ihc.ae

April 28, 2020

Transports nearly 100 tonnes of fish, fruit and vegetables in second half of April to markets in Europe, Middle East & Asia

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, has helped Sri Lankan exporters despatch nearly 100 tonnes of local produce to markets in Europe, the Middle East and Asia over the past two weeks, keeping supply chains and revenue flows open despite the suspension of scheduled passenger flights from Colombo.

The cargo airline deployed two Boeing 777-300 passenger aircraft operating as freighters to support exporters of perishables achieve speed to market and deliver products in pristine condition.

The cargo transported by Emirates SkyCargo on 15^th and 27^th April comprised principally of fish, fruit, vegetables and betel leaves to markets such as Zurich, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Brussels, Dubai, Karachi and Lahore.

“Our commitment to Sri Lanka is undiminished. We are working hard to mitigate, as much as possible, the debilitating effects on Sri Lankan exporters of the disruption of markets and transport logistics due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kapila Santhapriya, Emirates’ Cargo Manager Sri Lanka & Maldives. “In good times, Emirates SkyCargo transports more than 20 per cent of all the goods Sri Lanka exports by air. We will continue to operate passenger freighters in keeping with the demand from exporters.”

An important facilitator of international trade, Emirates SkyCargo is currently operating scheduled cargo flights as well as charters using its Boeing 777-F freighters and Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft to close to 60 global destinations. The air cargo carrier has helped transport vital medical supplies to different parts of the world including to Australia on both its scheduled flights as well as on special charter flights.

Air cargo remains the fastest means of connecting essential supplies to those that need them and the expanded SkyCargo network allows for increased connectivity across different global origins and destinations. Emirates SkyCargo has transported more than 20,000 tonnes of pharmaceuticals and more than 93,000 tonnes of perishables on its flights since January.

Emirates commenced flights to Colombo, its fourth overseas destination, on 1^st April 1986. Before its temporary suspension of passenger flights in response to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, Emirates operated four flights a day to and from Colombo, connecting Sri Lanka to a global network of 159 destinations on six continents.

Older Posts

1 billion vaccine doses: Emirates SkyCargo surpasses a historic landmark for COVID-19 vaccine transportation

Emirates SkyCargo transports 600 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines

On a historic date for modern vaccines, Emirates SkyCargo crosses COVID-19 vaccine transportation milestone

Emirates SkyCargo expands pharma cool chain infrastructure in Dubai, enhancing vaccine transport capabilities

Emirates SkyCargo to work with UNICEF for COVID-19 vaccine distribution

Dubai forms Vaccine Logistics Alliance to expedite global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines through the emirate to developing countries

Under the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Emirates SkyCargo transports first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for Dubai Health Authority

Emirates SkyCargo introduces Airbus A380 ‘mini-freighter’ charter operations

Emirates SkyCargo signs humanitarian logistics MoU with International Humanitarian City

Emirates SkyCargo supports Sri Lankan exporters’ supply chain