Emirates SkyCargo, the air freight division of Emirates, has been packing more pharmaceuticals, Irish food produce, electronic equipment, baby formula and luxury goods into the bellies of its aircraft leaving the capital twice each day, leading it to become the number one air cargo carrier for Irish exports since the start of the year. Having recently celebrated its third anniversary in Ireland, Emirates SkyCargo previously occupied the number two spot, before securing the number one slot for January and February 2015.
Last year Emirates added a second double daily flight to its popular Dublin to Dubai route, which doubled its cargo capacity. Up to 50 tonnes of cargo can now be carried each day from Dublin to Dubai and onwards across Emirates’ global network of over 140 destinations, with exports mainly going to the Far East, Australasia, India, the Middle East and Africa.
Michael Meagher, Cargo Manager for Emirates SkyCargo Ireland, said: “Supporting the Irish export sector with quick and efficient access to key markets means we are, for example, bringing daily shipments of fresh seafood to Hong Kong and Singapore, and making it available in the best restaurants within 48 hours of being caught, and also transporting Irish fresh foods to supermarkets in Dubai within 24 hours of processing.”
While Irish food produce is always high on the export list, other large quantities of exports include pharmaceuticals to the Far East, South Africa and Australia within 48 hours of departure from their manufacturing plants in Ireland. Emirates Sky Cargo has also operated a number of all cargo (freighter) aircraft service through Shannon to transport race horses from Ireland to Dubai and the USA.
“The finest service in the sky is supported by the finest facilities and professional staff on the ground,” added Michael. “Much of the company’s success can be attributed to the systems and equipment at the Cargo Mega Terminal (CMT) in Dubai, complete with state-of-the-art handling and tracking systems, ensuring the shortest acceptance, delivery and transit times. Our Cargo system (SkyChain) also provides immediate online status updates on shipments as they move through our network.”
The dedicated Emirates SkyCargo team in Ireland have recently moved to a new purpose-built facility at Dublin Airport that provides a range of temperature-controlled zones for the wide variety of products it handles. The new facility meets the criteria laid down by the Irish Aviation Authority and international authorities for the safe and secure handling of air cargo. The facility is also GDP (General Distribution Practise) compliant, a key requirement for the handling of pharmaceuticals for export to the world.
(NB: The statistics for Air Cargo Sales from Ireland, complied by IATA on a monthly basis, has reported Emirates SkyCargo as the number one air cargo carrier for Irish Exports for January and February of 2015.)
