Emirates to resume cargo flights if airports upgraded
Emirates SkyCargo, a concern of Emirates Group, plans to resume dedicated flights from Bangladesh if problems related to the infrastructure and facilities available at airports in Dhaka and Chattogram are resolved.
Hiran Gregory Perera, senior vice president for cargo planning and freighters of Emirates SkyCargo, recently briefed reporters about the company's intentions in this regard at its headquarters in Dubai.
Emirates had arranged a trip for aviation and tourism reporters from five media houses in Bangladesh to give them first-hand experience about the operations of its airlines, flight training academy and cargo services.
Perera said Emirates operates three passenger flights from Dhaka daily with carrying around 60 tonnes of cargo inside the belly hold.
Highlighting their world class facilities, Emirates officials said their fleet is one of the youngest and most efficient, helping the company set new standards for performance and fuel consumption.
"In turn, our clients benefit from exceptional reliability and speed. With more than 270 wide-bodied aircraft and 12 dedicated freighters, our capacity, reach and availability set new industry benchmarks," Perera said.
"We connect you to global supply chains with a network of more than 300 destinations spanning 80 countries across six continents, including 50 dedicated freighter locations," he added.
Perera went on to say Emirates SkyCentral is a state-of-the-art multi-airport cargo facility in Dubai linked with a bonded truck service. Within this facility lies Emirates SkyPharma, the world's largest GDP-certified pharmaceutical cargo hub.
Perera then said Bangladeshi businesspeople could send their products to any destination in the world using facilities at the Dubai hub.
Pointing to the ongoing global economic recession following the Covid-19 pandemic, he said Bangladesh is not outside the purview of its effects.
"But the demand for air cargo will increase once the situation ends. So, Emirates will provide its cargo services from Bangladesh after that," he added.
Highlighting the facilities of the Emirates SkyCargo village, which spans about two lakh square metres, he said a multicultural mix of over 5,300 employees are providing high-quality training and reward recognition to ensure an exceptional level of service.
"Together with our partners, we can connect you to over 300 destinations globally through Emirates SkyCentral, our operations hub at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central," he said.
"With a young, efficient, wide-bodied fleet, we have ample capacity to transport your cargo through our state-of-the-art, multi-airport hub in Dubai," he added.
Perera also said that taking off from Dubai in 1985, Emirates began its passenger and cargo operations with just two aircraft travelling to Mumbai and Karachi.
However, the company's strategic location within the Middle East enabled it to quickly become the epicentre for global trade.
"30 years on with over three decades of experience under our belt, we have expanded our business to a fleet size of over 270 wide-bodied aircraft, 11 of which are dedicated freighters," he added.
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