Mumbai : Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, has recorded a successful year of transporting perishables with Emirates Fresh- the air cargo carrier’s specialised portfolio of solutions for air-freighting different kinds of perishable cargo across its network of over 155 destinations. In the 12 months since the launch of Emirates Fresh in April 2017, Emirates SkyCargo has transported close to 400,000 tonnes of perishables.

Fruits and vegetables were the largest category of perishables transported by Emirates SkyCargo. In the last year, the air cargo carrier transported over 150,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables globally. More than a fifth of the total volume of fruits and vegetables carried on SkyCargo were exported from India. Nearly half of the fruits and vegetables from across the world were imported into the UAE, which has a thriving international food scene catering to a large expatriate population. With the onset of the export season for mangoes from the Indian subcontinent and the start of Ramadan, Emirates SkyCargo will be going through one of its busiest seasons in the year for transport of perishables from May 2018 onwards.

Emirates Fresh operates under three different service categories, with the Indian market being a significant contributor. Emirates Fresh is the basic offering to transport general perishables such as fruits and vegetables that have a high temperature tolerance. Emirates Fresh Breathe provides ventilated cool chain solutions for delicate perishables such as fresh cut flowers, and Emirates Fresh Active provides intensive cool chain protection for perishables that cannot withstand any temperature deviation.

“Since its launch last year, we have received extremely positive feedback on Emirates Fresh from our customers,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo. “The three different service levels of Emirates Fresh allow us to respond to the varied needs of perishables exporters. We continue to work with our customers and to invest in and develop Emirates Fresh as well as our other sector specific offerings. This is what helps us stay ahead of the game,” he added.

Every year, Emirates SkyCargo transports significant volumes of perishables including bananas and banana leaves from Kerala to the Middle East during the run up to Onam. In Bangalore, Emirates SkyCargo carries approximately 70 tonnes of pomegranate arils per month to various destinations worldwide. Over the years, Emirates SkyCargo has also witnessed a steady growth in the export of perishables such as fruits, vegetables and fish from markets like West Bengal, Kolkata, etc.

In the past 12 months, Emirates SkyCargo also transported over 65,000 tonnes of seafood and close to 60,000 tonnes of meat globally. Over 50,000 tonnes of fresh flowers and plants were also transported between April 2017 and March 2018. The export of perishables is often an important source of revenue for local economies. Emirates Skycargo stimulates global business partnerships and trade by opening new markets through its flight connections across six continents through Dubai.

Emirates SkyCargo offers cargo capacity on its fleet of over 265 modern, all wide-body aircraft including 14 dedicated freighters. The air cargo carrier offers extensive cool chain facilities at its state of the art cargo terminals in Dubai. In addition, Emirates SkyCargo also provides supplementary protection to cargo using innovative White Cover thermal blankets and cargo containers including the world’s first Ventilated Cool Dollies.