Emirates the Middle East’s top airline, has expanded its cargo operation out to Dubai’s new airport as it looks toward the future.
Emirates the Middle East’s top airline, has expanded its cargo operation out to Dubai’s new airport as it looks toward the future.
Emirates airlines cargo has a new home, the new Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central which is largely surrounded by desert. Henrik Ambak, Emirates’ senior vice president for cargo operations worldwide, said: “What you see is not sand, but the land of opportunity,”
Emirates said its new SkyCentral cargo facility will attract business both at home and abroad from 145 destinations around the world. Dubai’s authorities are very much hopeful on the growth of the new airport with hopes that it eventually will handle over 200 million passengers a year.
The new SkyCentral cargo facility includes mobile and fixed refrigerated storage for both fresh food and pharmaceuticals, as well as room for 12 of Emirates’ 15 freighter aircraft to be parked close by.
It is only 48 miles from Dubai International, Emirates officials say cargo landing there can be repackaged and flown out of SkyCentral at Al Maktoum in five hours.
Nabil Sultan, who heads Emirates’ SkyCargo arm said, “These are actually mini-freighters, if you like,” Sultan said. “It adds to the capacity and the reach we have globally.” “Despite the doom and gloom you hear about, there’s still a massive amount of cargo that gets transported across the globe,” Sultan said.
Emirates is focusing a lot more on North Americas, focusing on adding capacity into cargo flights heading into Chicago. Security is a main concern for Emirates officials and there is a secure mechanism in place to track and secure truck shipment moving across Dubai between airports following the Oct. 31 plane crash of a Russian airliner in Egypt that killed 224 people, a flight U.S. and British officials suggest likely was brought down by a bomb.
