Emirates SkyCargo has arranged a number of supplemental charter operations apart from the scheduled all-cargo passenger aircraft flights to expand its capacity amid rising demand for transport of perishables and medical supplies as the world continues to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Transport of critical medical supplies

An Emirates SkyCargo flight carrying close to 500,000 COVID-19 testing kits landed at Sao Paulo from Guangzhou via Dubai on March 30, the first of two such flights operated to transport supplies to Brazil.

During the same week, Emirates also executed two special charters carrying almost 200 tonnes of medical supplies such as hand sanitisers and protective face masks from Hong Kong to Sydney while another flight transported pharmaceutical supplies to Karachi.

As part of a special charter operation, an Emirates Boeing 777 freighter transported close to 100 tonnes of relief material including hospital equipment to Milan and over 55 tonnes of highly temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals were flown to New York from Mumbai.

Between March and April, the air cargo carrier said it will also be operating nine freighter flights to Budapest as part of a charter to transport supplies such as face masks and equipment to Hungary.

Transport of perishables, food

The Dubai-based carrier also said in addition to transporting critical medical supplies around the world, it is also transporting food materials into the UAE and the Middle East to keep transport of essential commodities uninterrupted and support businesses around the world maintain continuity by keeping global supply chains up and running.

During the last week of March, the carrier operated special flights from Pakistan and India to bring in more than 150 tonnes of perishables to Dubai.

Dedicated cargo flights from Cairo and Nairobi have also been transporting perishables to Dubai and onwards to other destinations within the Middle East.

"In these trying times, we more than ever stand by our commitment for Emirates SkyCargo to act as a global conveyor belt for the transport of much-needed commodities such as food and medicines and also for flying in equipment, machinery and other components which are vital for business continuity across essential industries," said Nabil Sultan, Emirates divisional senior vice president, cargo.

He noted that Emirates was able to establish a new network and schedule for its cargo operations in a very short period of time, utilising the lower deck capacity of its widebody Boeing 777 passenger aircraft which supplement the cargo capacity it offers on freighter aircraft.

Dedicated cargo flights on passenger aircraft

Emirates SkyCargo has also announced a new flight schedule for its global cargo operations which also includes cargo flights operated on its Boeing 777 passenger aircraft.

These flights will offer around 40 tonnes of lower deck cargo capacity per flight and will supplement the cargo capacity being offered on Emirates' fleet of freighter aircraft.

These cargo-only flights are scheduled to operate to over 30 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia with a majority of destinations being served with multiple weekly and daily flights.

In addition to scheduled operations, Emirates SkyCargo will also operate charter and ad-hoc operations on Emirates aircraft based on market demand.

Consolidation of operations at DXB

With effect from 1 April 2020, Emirates SkyCargo will also consolidate all its cargo handling operations at Dubai International Airport, temporarily suspending operations at Emirates SkyCentral DWC, the terminal handling Emirates' freighter aircraft.

The move will help the air cargo carrier streamline cargo operations between its freighter flights and the new dedicated cargo flights being offered on Emirates' passenger aircraft fleet.

"In order to consolidate operations and reduce costs in this new scenario, we have also temporarily shifted all our cargo handling operations to DXB. Taken together we are making sure that we react more quickly to requests coming in from every part of the globe from our customers," Sultan added.