Emirates expands its Courier Express service to Australia

Dubai: Dubai’s flagship carrier is significantly expanding its Emirates Courier Express service, with a major new push into Australia.

This development, coming just months after the service’s initial launch, highlights the airline’s ambition to streamline cross-border deliveries, offering a fast and dependable solution for both businesses and consumers.

The new service will leverage Emirates’ extensive network, with parcels flying directly into Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney via 70 weekly flights.

These existing passenger flight schedules are timed to ensure seamless connections with key destinations across Europe and the Middle East, aiming to deliver packages door-to-door in a matter of days, said Emirates.

From Dubai to Australia

A robust network of integrated first and last-mile transportation partners will ensure coverage across the entirety of Australia from the outset.

Dennis Lister, Senior Vice President of Product and Innovation at Emirates SkyCargo, emphasised the importance of Australia to the new venture.

“Since the early test phase of Emirates Courier Express, we knew Australia would be a key market,” he said. “Logistically challenging and historically underserved, businesses and end consumers will feel the benefits of our direct connectivity, high frequency flight schedules and flexible, scalable solution.”

Addressing e-commerce challenges

The move, according to Emirates, also addresses a critical need in the Australian e-commerce landscape. Despite growing consumer confidence in international online shopping, reports from the International Trade Administration indicate that only 6 per cent of international shoppers currently purchase from Australian businesses.

Fluctuating delivery costs and extended timelines are often cited as reasons for these low figures.

Conversely, Australia has seen a 45 per cent increase in inbound small parcel volume over the past two years, with a record number of households now engaging in online shopping.

Emirates Courier Express aims to mitigate these challenges by utilising Emirates’ vast passenger operations and SkyCargo’s established infrastructure. By bypassing the traditional hub-and-spoke model and offering direct connectivity via Dubai, the service is designed to reduce transit times and minimise package handling significantly.

This digital solution also enables direct integration with customers’ existing software, providing advanced tracking and real-time updates for full visibility of shipments worldwide.

The initiative aims to create new opportunities for Australian businesses to access a broader global customer base, while also enabling international enterprises to reach Australian shoppers more effectively.