Emirates SkyCargo Reflects on a Year of Passenger Freighters

Emirates SkyCargo was one of the first air freight companies worldwide to operate dedicated cargo flights on passenger aircraft to transport personal protective equipment and other essential goods. The cargo division of Emirates has conducted over 27,800 pure cargo flights in this manner over the past year, transporting 100,000 tons of vital goods. This corresponds to a cargo volume of 1,000 fully loaded Boeing 777 freighters.

(Dubai/Frankfurt am Main) On March 16, 2020, Emirates flight EK 2503 took off from Dubai to Kuwait. Although operated with a Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft, no passengers were carried on flight EK 2503; instead, around 34 tons of under-deck cargo, urgently needed in Kuwait, were transported.

This was the first time in its history that Emirates conducted a pure cargo flight with a passenger aircraft. Just four days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, EK 2503 was the first of more than 27,800 cargo flights that Emirates SkyCargo conducted in the following months. The cargo division of Emirates worked tirelessly to supply cities and countries around the world with essential medicines and food needed during the pandemic.

Today a Strong Pillar

Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo: “It has been exactly one year since what was considered impossible in the air freight industry not only became a reality but today represents a strong operational pillar for Emirates SkyCargo. Before the pandemic, nearly two-thirds of our total cargo was transported in the underbelly of our passenger flights. With the increasing flight bans and restrictions on passenger traffic imposed due to COVID-19 in early March 2020, we faced a situation where there would be insufficient cargo capacity available in the market to transport vital goods.”

“To increase the cargo capacity of our eleven Boeing 777 freighters and ensure that we could meet the urgent demand for goods such as personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other pharmaceutical products, as well as food from around the world, we proactively developed a comprehensive and innovative plan to utilize our wide-body passenger aircraft for pure cargo flights. We tested this passenger freighter concept with a flight to Kuwait on March 16 last year. Over the following weeks, as regular passenger operations were completely halted, we began to ramp up our passenger freighter flights until we eventually deployed nearly 90 passenger aircraft for cargo operations.”

Team Worked Hard for Implementation

“Our team worked hard to implement a new business model from the ground up – obtaining approvals from authorities, establishing a new route network, developing new operational and safety guidelines, and engaging with our customers around the world to ensure that we, as a socially responsible airline, could maintain essential cargo deliveries to markets while ensuring exports to the world under challenging economic conditions.”

“Our passenger freighter strategy was the backbone of our flight operations during the pandemic and has transported cargo to more than 125 destinations across six continents, demonstrating our capability as a global facilitator of trade and supply chains. With the resumption and growth of passenger operations, we have begun to gradually return to our traditional model. Our passenger freighters remain an important part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nabil Sultan continued.

Sixteen Mini Freighters

To meet global demand for personal protective equipment and essential goods, Emirates SkyCargo took further measures in cargo transportation. For example, loading goods onto passenger seats and in overhead compartments on the main deck, as well as introducing so-called “mini freighters,” Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from which the economy class seats were removed to create more space for cargo transport. Emirates SkyCargo currently operates 16 such mini freighters.

Over the past year, Emirates SkyCargo has conducted more than 27,800 pure cargo flights with passenger aircraft. These flights have helped transport over 100,000 tons of vital goods, including protective clothing, COVID-19 test kits, ventilators, medicines, vaccines, and food. This corresponds to a cargo volume of 1,000 fully loaded Boeing 777 freighters.

Emirates SkyCargo’s flights helped maintain the food supply in a number of import-dependent markets while also creating a source of income for countries reliant on agricultural exports. The air freight company also conducted a record number of charter flights, where passenger aircraft were exclusively used for cargo transport.

Emirates SkyCargo has been at the forefront of the air freight industry’s response to the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, establishing a special GDP-certified airside hub for COVID-19 vaccines in Dubai and entering into partnerships with leading Dubai-based companies and UNICEF to facilitate the rapid transport of vaccines to developing countries via the hub in Dubai. Emirates SkyCargo’s passenger freighters have also played a crucial role in transporting vaccines.