Dubai’s Emirates plans expansion of air cargo operations after ‘best results ever’ in 2024

Dubai: Following a strong 2024 boom in e-commerce demand and new capacity introduction, Emirates’ cargo division, Emirates SkyCargo, has outlined plans to expand its cargo operations to meet robust demand.

According to Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President at Emirates SkyCargo, the expansion follows a robust performance in 2024 – making it one of the air cargo carrier’s best years.

Abbas commented on Emirates SkyCargo’s 2024 results: "It was a very strong year. I mean, the results are very strong, and yes, I could say it was one of our best results.”

Emirates, whose financial year runs from March – April, is expected to announce its full-year results early next month. He added, “It has been a very strong year with booming e-commerce, perishables, and pharmaceuticals, which continue to drive our growth. At the same time, the additional freighter capacity coming in the next two years should give us even more space and capacity to expand further.”

“We are expecting multiple aircraft to be delivered in the next two years,” he said, referring to the order of 10 new Boeing 777 freighters placed last year. This addition will double the current freighter capacity by the end of 2026 to operate a fleet of 21 dedicated freighters. Abbas said that to address immediate demand, Emirates SkyCargo has also wet-leased additional Boeing 747 freighters.

Looking ahead to future freighter acquisitions, Abbas also said that the airline is exploring options for next-generation aircraft, including the Airbus A350 freighter and the Boeing 777-8 freighter. “We are conducting a full assessment and reviewing all the aircraft options to ensure that we’re best equipped to respond to the evolving demands of the market,” he explained, stressing the flexibility offered by their combination of passenger aircraft and freighters.

Currently, Emirates flies to 38 freighter destinations, in addition to the belly-hold of passenger aircraft to 148 destinations.

“In terms of destinations, we also plan to add 20 new freighter destinations in the coming years. We have recently announced Copenhagen as a freighter destination to support the pharmaceutical and seafood demand from there,” he added.

Emirates plans to launch freighter operations in Narita, Japan, in addition to two weekly Osaka flights next month. “So, we will be the first Middle Eastern airline to connect Narita with the Middle East. That will be a good route for us, and I think there’s a lot of potential for us to grow in Japan as well. This will be a freighter flight, one weekly flight using one of our own Boeing 777s,” he explained. The airline recently launched services in Edinburgh, Madagascar, and Lagos. Abbas said SkyCargo is also working closely with the Dubai government to develop infrastructure at the new Al Maktoum International Airport – poised to become the ‘world’s largest cargo hub’ with a capacity to handle 12 million tonnes of cargo annually.

Regarding the potential impact of the ongoing trade war between the US and China, Abbas said it is “too early to speculate on the long-term impact.” He explained, “We remain agile and resilient. We have 40 years of experience navigating these external challenges. We’ve done it, we’ve managed it well over the years, and we view disruptions as an opportunity to innovate and lead. We also remain confident that the future of air cargo and the long-term growth are still there.” Air cargo volumes are projected to rise in 2025, and IATA’s forecasts suggest a 5.5 per cent growth in global cargo.  

When asked if the airline has any mitigation measures to combat the rise in tariffs if they are implemented after the 90-day pause set by the US administration, Abbas said, “We are monitoring the market closely, and we’re being agile and swift whenever we see we need to redeploy some of our capacity.”

He added, “We’ve been doing it over the years. It has nothing to do with the recent announcements, but this is how we operate. With a wide network, we have the flexibility. We operate to 248 destinations in over 80 countries. On top of the passenger flights, we also have 38 dedicated freighter-only routes, so we have flexibility and demand worldwide.”