Air cargo operator Emirates SkyCargo, part of the Emirates airline group, has announced that it is this month resuming operations to another 14 cities around the world. This will take the total number of cities it serves to 100.
The 14 additional cities that will now be served are Accra, Algiers, Athens, Fort Lauderdale, Glasgow, Larnaca, Los Angeles, Male, Moscow, Phnom Penh, Rome, Santiago, Sialkot and Tunis. (It is already serving Johannesburg.)
This expansion is the result of increasing economic activity and the consequent rise in demand for air cargo capacity. As Emirates is also increasing its passenger operations, it is further increasing its air cargo capacity, using the belly holds of its airliners. The result is that it can offer daily or weekly cargo flights between major production and consumption markets.
Because of this, the carrier is assisting in the transport of materials and equipment needed to counter the Covid-19 pandemic. It is also assisting in the resumption of economic activity around the planet.
In addition to its increasing number of scheduled cargo flights, the company is continuing to operate weekly special charter flights. These latter are to transport cargoes ranging from personal protective equipment and pharmaceuticals to food and outsized machinery and parts.
In addition to its fleet of 11 Boeing 777F dedicated freighter aircraft, and the belly holds of airliners, the company has also been carrying certain cargoes on the passenger seats and overhead bins of its Boeing 777-300ER airliners. It also recently removed the economy class seating in ten of its Boeing 777-300ER airliners to make room for more cargo.
“Emirates SkyCargo places a strong emphasis on the safety of operations,” it assured. “Working with partners, including ground handlers, the carrier has introduced a number of strict guidelines on cabin loading of cargo covering the type of permitted cargo as well as proper packaging and handling in accordance with Iata [International Air Transport Association] guidelines.”