DUBAI - Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, is set to increase its cargo capacity to Tunis and Abidjan with the introduction of a weekly freighter service from 17th March 2014.  

The new freighter flight will be in addition to the belly hold cargo capacity provided on Emirates’ daily passenger services to the two cities. Emirates SkyCargo currently has more than 200 tonnes of capacity each week on the Tunis route, while the flights to Abidjan, which is a linked route with Accra, has more than 300 tonnes. 

Emirates SkyCargo will use one of its Boeing 777 Freighter aircraft on the Dubai-Abidjan-Tunis-Dubai route capable of carrying 103 tonnes of cargo, and with the main deck width of  3.7 meters.

Nabil Sultan, Emirates divisional senior vice president, cargo. “Africa is a key growth region for Emirates SkyCargo and the additional capacity and frequency of a scheduled freighter service will create new opportunities for businesses in Tunisia and Cote D’Ivoire wanting to tap into new markets in the Emirates network, particularly the Middle East, Asia and the Far East, as well as for customers in our network wanting to increase their trade with the two countries.” 

Emirates SkyCargo currently operates freighters to 46 destinations, 13 of which are in Africa. The destinations, many of which are Emirates’ passenger destinations include Accra, Addis Ababa, Entebbe, Dakar, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Tripoli, Cairo and Khartoum, while Djibouti, Eldoret, Lilongwe and Kano are freighter only destinations.

Emirates SkyCargo has a fleet of 12 freighters, 10 Boeing 777F and two Boeing 747-400ERF aircraft, starting 1st May 2014 will operate from the cargo terminal at Dubai World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport.