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Emirates adds dedicated cargo flight to Harare

by Bhebhe Mandla
31 Jul 2012 at 05:03hrs | Views
HARARE - Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, one of the fastest growing international airlines, has underlined its commitment to Zimbabwe with the launch of a dedicated SkyCargo freighter flight into Harare International Airport.

The scheduled cargo-only Boeing 777 aircraft will arrive from Dubai every Friday. From Harare the flight will continue to Johannesburg before returning to Dubai.
The SkyCargo airplane has the capacity to carry 103 tonnes of freight, adding to the existing weekly cargo capacity of 160 tonnes on Emirates' scheduled five-time-a-week passenger service.

Supporting the thriving trade between Africa and the rest of the world, SkyCargo's weekly cargo capacity into and out of the continent is already more 6,000 tonnes since the launch of the airline's passenger service to Harare and Lusaka on February 1.

The new gateway means Emirates SkyCargo can connect businesses in 22 countries across Africa to its network of more than 100 destinations, while also providing increased opportunities for key trading partners such as China and Japan.

South Africa - with a weekly capacity of more than 1,500 tonnes spread across the belly-hold of 84 passenger flights serving Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, as well as two dedicated Johannesburg freighters â€" is Emirates SkyCargo's key trading point on the continent.

Dedicated freighters also operate to Eldoret and Lilongwe, while the other points on Emirates SkyCargo's African network â€" Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Accra, Cairo, Casablanca, Dakar, Dar el Salaam, Entebbe, Khartoum, Lagos, Luanda, Nairobi, Tripoli, and Tunisia â€" are served using either the belly-hold of wide-body passenger aircraft, or a combination of the belly-hold and freighters.

"With such a comprehensive service now in place we are in a good position to help sustain Africa's continued economic development by facilitating international trade with its business partners and opening it up to new markets on our ever-expanding network," said Ram Menen, Emirates' Divisional Senior Vice President Cargo.

Emirates SkyCargo is transporting commodities such as garments, computer parts, and pharmaceuticals to Zimbabwe - from the likes of the Far East, Australasia, the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, Europe and North America. Fresh flowers, fruit and vegetables will be among the main commodities shipped in the other direction, while trade is also expected to be generated by neighbouring countries.

Source - Emirates
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