In its continued commitment to capacity expansion to Europe from strategic, global markets, Emirates SkyCargo will launch scheduled freighter services to Zurich, Rome and Vienna effective April 6th, 7th and 8th respectively.
The services, operated with the newest fleet acquisition, the Airbus A310-300F freighter, will maximize capacity across Emirates SkyCargo’s growing route network, connecting Central Europe to Dubai as a gateway into Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and the Far East. Services to Zurich will run twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays, services to Rome will operate on Wednesdays and Fridays and services to Vienna will operate on Saturdays.
The expansion into Vienna will allow customers to capitalize on transit access to a number of markets including Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic and improve trade channels for commodities in electronics and garments from the Indian Subcontinent and the Far East to Southern Europe, as well as enhance trade of telecommunications equipment to the Indian Subcontinent. The new route to Zurich will enable the export of perishables and special cargo from the Indian Subcontinent and Australasia as well as open trade of general merchandise to the Middle East.
Traffic into Rome is expected to consist of perishables and live tropical fish from the Indian Subcontinent as well as seasonal fresh fish from the Middle East. Exports from Rome will include consolidated shipments consisting of small machinery products and leather goods.
Ram Menen, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President Cargo said: “The addition of the A310F freighter to Central Europe will further enhance the flexibility of our current network, while providing our customers with increased access to strategic gateways, particularly across the expanded EU.
“Our fleet, currently a mix of A310Fs and Boeing 747Fs has increased both our versatility and our response times. We have established a track record in meeting the demand for freighter service, and in accommodating increased capacity and volumes with efficiency. The expansion to Zurich, Rome and Vienna will assist us in meeting our commitment to provide better access, increased speed and quality of service for our growing number of customers. The new routes will also allow us to eliminate long tracking on urgent shipments.”
Currently, in Europe, Emirates SkyCargo provides freighter services to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Milan and Gothenburg in addition to its scheduled bellyhold destinations across Europe and the UK.
The wide-bodied A310-300F has a gross payload of 39 tonnes and offers excellent performance capabilities, equipped as it is with state-of-the-art technology. The aircraft also has Auxiliary Centre Tanks to increase its range, enabling one-stop operations from Dubai to the U.S. and countries in the South Pacific. Globally, the Emirates SkyCargo network currently spans 83 markets.
About Emirates SkyCargo:
Emirates' 91-strong fleet, which includes 82 wide-bodied passenger jets and nine freighters (three A310-300Fs, five Boeing 747-400Fs and one 747-200F) is one of the youngest in the skies. Emirates SkyCargo now serves 83 destinations in 57 countries in Europe, North America, Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the Far East.
It moved 838,400 tonnes of freight in 2004-05 - an increase of 27 per cent over the previous year - while the division's revenue grew by 42 per cent to Dhs 3.4 billion (US $940 million), accounting for a record 21 per cent of the airline's operating revenue.
In 2005 it has won a clutch of awards: 'Air Cargo Carrier of the Year' from IFW, UK (2nd year running); 'Best Air Cargo Carrier - Middle East' from Cargo News Asia (3rd year running); and 'Best Cargo Airline to the Middle East' (17th year running), 'Best Cargo Airline to the Indian subcontinent' (8th year) and 'Best cargo airline to the Far East’ (2nd time) from Air Cargo News.
Emirates SkyCargo's Priority Service assures on-time delivery throughout the world, while the extensive trucking and off-line partner networks ensure comprehensive coverage where customers need it most. SkyChain, the one-stop web shop with many value-added features, enables customers to obtain information as well as transact business online.
