Emirates SkyCargo launches new twin route
Freighter now serves Mumbai, adds fourth frequency to Shanghai

Hi-tech city of India plans own airport

Hyderabad, know as the hi-tech city of India, has planned to have an international airport of its own. A state support- and shareholders-agreement was signed recently by the private sector consortium, the state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). According to the agreements between GMR-MAHB Consortium, the state government and the AAI, the international airport at Shamshabad in the city outskirts would be completed in 33 months. The construction would begin in a year’s time for which the state government has allocated 5,000 acres of land as its equity share.

To satisfy and support escalating customer demand stemming from the booming Indian economy, Emirates SkyCargo has launched dedicated freighter services from Shanghai to India’s commercial capital, Mumbai. The new service started on 25th November and marked the fourth freighter frequency to China’s largest city, Shanghai.

The cargo-laden Boeing 747-200 Freighter is scheduled to leave Dubai every Tuesday morning to Shanghai, stopping on its way back in Mumbai early Wednesday mornings and reaching Dubai at 0735 on the same day.

The new service will help ferry more

than 100 tonnes of consumer and industrial goods each week to India’s cargo heartland, Mumbai. From the city, goods can then be transported quickly by road, rail, air and sea to customers in various metropolitan cities all over the country.

Cargo customers in India have expressed their keenness to take advantage of Emirates SkyCargo’s second weekly freighter service to New York via Gothenburg, launched on 20th November, and the recently started freighter services to Amman, Istanbul and Frankfurt.

Mr. Hiran Perera, Emirates’ Manager Cargo Planning and Capacity

Development, said: "We are delighted to launch dedicated services to Mumbai, our third freighter destination in India after Bangalore and Chennai. This will supplement our belly capacity in the 18 flights we currently operate to the city. There has been a shortage of capacity on this route and the new service will go a long way in keeping our cargo customers in India happy."

Emirates SkyCargo also offers belly capacity in 42 weekly flights to five Indian cities – four flights to Chennai, five to Cochin, seven to Delhi, eight to Hyderabad, and 18 to Mumbai. With the new service, the total tonnage capacity to India exceeds 950 tonnes a week.