Emirates' cargo unit receives three new freighters

SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates Airline, has announced that it has added three new aircraft to significantly boosted its total cargo capacity.

The three Boeing 777F freighters, each capable of carrying up to 103 tonnes of cargo, takes SkyCargo's freighter fleet to 10 aircraft and its dedicated freighter network to 12 destinations.

A fourth new Boeing 777 freighter will join the fleet in March this year, a statement said.

Ram Menen, Emirates divisional senior vice president Cargo, said: "As one of the largest air cargo carriers in the world, we continue to invest in our fleet and expand our route network, enabling us to provide our customers with even greater flexibility, increased frequencies, additional capacity to handle larger cargo volumes and charter flights.

"Our dedicated freighter fleet, coupled with our cargo capacity on our passenger fleet of 185 wide-bodied aircraft that flies to 128 destinations in 74 countries, gives us extensive global reach and connectivity to the trade routes of the world."

In 2012, Emirates introduced services to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Dallas, Lusaka, Harare, Seattle, Ho Chi Minh City, Barcelona, Lisbon, Washington DC, Adelaide, Lyon and Phuket, while Warsaw will join the route network on February 6 and Algiers on March 1.

The Boeing 777F aircraft's main cargo deck is the widest of any freighter aircraft at 3.7 metres, which enables it to uplift outsized cargo and carry larger consignments