Emirates SkyCargo has expanded its footprint in Europe with the launch of a scheduled freighter service from Maastricht to Dubai from February 6, 2018.

According to Emirates, the non-stop flight will initially be operated on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a Boeing 777F, which has a capacity of approximately 100 tonnes. From the end of March 2018, Emirates SkyCargo will serve Maastricht seven times weekly.

“Emirates SkyCargo is delighted to be starting scheduled freighter services to Maastricht,” said Nabil Sultan, divisional senior vice president of cargo at Emirates. “The Netherlands is one of our most important cargo markets globally and the freighters to Maastricht will allow us to build a stronger presence to respond to customer needs in the region. In addition, the vibrant business and logistics community around Maastricht will now have access to seamless trade connections to over 155 destinations across six continents on the Emirates SkyCargo network.”

The freighter flight to Maastricht will supplement the cargo capacity offered on freighter and passenger flights to Amsterdam, and will also provide air cargo connectivity to neighbouring regions in Belgium and Germany. SkyCargo expects to carry general and e-commerce cargo and pharmaceuticals on the route.

Maastricht is Emirates SkyCargo’s second freighter destination in the Netherlands and joins the carrier’s freighter network of over 40 cities.

“We look forward to serving this important air cargo customer at Maastricht Airport,” said Jos Roeven, managing director of Maastricht Aachen Airport. “This win is a culmination of several months of hard and successful work by our team. We would like to thank Emirates SkyCargo for their trust and confidence in our services and we will strive to fulfil and exceed their expectations and continue to improve our performance.”

Emirates SkyCargo is the world’s largest international air cargo operator with a fleet consisting of one Boeing 747F and 13 777Fs.