Emirates SkyCargo to deploy 2 more weekly freighters to India

Mumbai, Feb 26 (PTI) Gulf carrier Emirates' cargo arm SkyCargo on Thursday said it has expanded capacity in India with the deployment of two additional weekly freighter services, one each to Mumbai and Ahmedabad, starting from next month.

SkyCargo also said it continues to strengthen trade lanes and connect businesses in India with their partners, suppliers, and customers worldwide, with an average cargo uplift of 3,000 tonnes weekly.

Beyond aircraft capacity, Emirates SkyCargo said it has built a vast trucking network, to reach more offline destinations across India.

Emirates currently serves India with three weekly freighters – one to Mumbai and two to Ahmedabad – as well as bellyhold capacity in 167 passenger services to nine gateways per week.

The new freighter service to Mumbai will start on March 4, and connect Dubai, Singapore and India. Ahmedabad service will be a direct, dedicated freighter starting next month, it stated.

The cargo airline said it expects to carry key commodities such as pharmaceuticals, fresh fruits, vegetables and other perishables as well as personal electronic devices on both freighters.

"Our new freighter frequencies to India reflect both the strength of India's trade corridors, and our long-term commitment to supporting them," said Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo.

India is a powerhouse of manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, perishables and eCommerce and the demand for reliable and stable capacity continues to grow, he said, and added, "these additional freighters bolster our existing operations, by offering more connectivity and capacity to ensure we continue to serve our customers in India and across the globe." As the third anniversary of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) nears, bilateral trade is booming, with India's exports to the UAE growing faster than its overall export growth, the airline said.

Emirates SkyCargo supports the trade agreement, moving goods every week including 600 tonnes of pharmaceuticals, 500 tonnes of perishables, a significant tonnage of garments, textiles and clothing and a growing number of personal electronics such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets, it said.

In 2025, over 1,000 Emirates SkyCargo trucks transported almost 5,500 tonnes of cargo across India, carrying shipments such as automotive and aircraft spare parts, clothing and textiles, machinery, tools, spices and even a satellite.

The airline recently added Coimbatore and Goa to its road network as offline stations.

Emirates SkyCargo serves nine cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. PTI IAS RAM MR