Emirates SkyCargo has deployed a dedicated weekly freighter to Narita International Airport (NRT), increasing its network of destinations served by Emirates freighters to 38.
The cargo division of the world's largest international airline said the deployment also marks the first direct and scheduled freighter connectivity between Narita and the Middle East.
Japan has a well-established and diverse manufacturing industry and has long been a priority market for Emirates SkyCargo, with a twice-weekly freighter to Kansai International Airport (KIX).
Emirates SkyCargo noted that the soon-to-be-deployed freighter to Narita International Airport will boost available cargo capacity by 100 tonnes each way.
Expected commodities include automobile and machinery parts, semiconductor parts and sophisticated pharmaceuticals, transported swiftly, efficiently, and reliably through the airline's multi-vertical product portfolio.
Narita International Airport is the largest air- or seaport in Japan, in terms of value of cargo handled, and, with further investment allocated to the ‘New Narita Airport’ Development Plan, the airport is set to become one of the region's foremost cargo hubs by the end of the decade.
"Expanding our dedicated freighter network is a key priority on our 10-year strategic roadmap, and now, as we start to receive our all-new Boeing 777 freighters, we are able to reach new markets with enhanced capacity," said Badr Abbas, divisional senior vice president at Emirates SkyCargo.
He noted that demand for products and services has also been steadily growing in Narita, particularly for pharmaceuticals and consumer electronics, which are transported in the belly hold of the carrier's daily passenger flights.
The large or oddly shaped shipments, such as machinery parts, are diverted to Kansai International Airport (KIX).
"The deployment of this freighter empowers us to better support our global customers with direct connectivity to and through Dubai, while growing our operations in Japan," Abbas said.
Emirates SkyCargo serves four destinations across East and Southeast Asia with 57 dedicated freighter flights per week, complemented by over 290 passenger flights every week.
The carrier noted that this frequency and capacity mark East Asia as one of the airline's busiest destinations, with further expansion on the horizon in the coming months, including the opening of additional passenger routes between Dubai and Siem Reap, Cambodia; Da Nang, Vietnam, and Shenzhen, China.
Emirates SkyCargo said that, effective May 24, 2025, the freighter service will arrive at Narita International Airport on Saturdays, departing for Dubai World Central the following day.
