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29 March 2024

Emirates celebrates 30 years of connecting Sri Lanka to world

Published
By Wam

On April 1, 1986, an Emirates Boeing 727-200 Flight EK800 departed Dubai International Airport touching down in Colombo, Emirates’ fourth global destination.

Thirty years later, Emirates has logged 56 million miles, transported thousands of tonnes of cargo and continues to connect Sri Lanka to the world, with 34 flights a week to Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore.

With approximately 12,000 seats and 780 tons of cargo carried per week each way, Emirates’ service to Sri Lanka has proven to be an indispensable resource for travellers, exporters and importers over the years. The airline has already announced it will increase capacity further with the addition of a fifth daily flight between Colombo and Dubai from August 1, 2016.

"We would like to thank all our customers and industry partners in Sri Lanka for their long-standing support over the years. We are proud to contribute to the country’s thriving tourism and trade industry, connecting Sri Lanka with more than 150 destinations across six continents. Over the past few decades, we introduced new products on the route and provided an award-winning inflight and on ground experience to Sri Lankan travelers. It’s been a remarkable journey and we look forward to offering further choice and excellent value for money to our customers in Sri Lanka," said Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ senior vice president, Commercial operations- West Asia and Indian Ocean.

Emirates has recorded solid year-on-year growth in Sri Lanka over the years, carrying nearly four million passengers on the route in the last two and half decades. Sri Lanka has also emerged as an important cargo destination for the airline in the region as Emirates SkyCargo continues to be a preferred carrier for the country’s exports.

"West Asia has always been an important growth region for SkyCargo.  Over the past 30 years, we’ve seen the route perform very well, with increasing volumes of cargo carried out of Colombo to important markets in Europe and the Americas via our hub in Dubai. When combined with the efficiency of one of the youngest fleets in the skies, unrivalled ground-handling facilities, and the very latest information technology, Emirates SkyCargo is the ideal partner for Sri Lankan-based businesses as they look to boost trade," said Jassim Saif, Vice President Cargo Commercial - West Asia and South East Asia.

Key Colombo exports include ready-made garments, fruit and vegetables, betel leaves, cut foliage and edible fish, with the latter accounting for over 40 per cent of Sri Lanka’s total air cargo tonnage in perishables.

Emirates SkyCargo expands network to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates Airline, has further strengthened its extensive route network with the launch of a weekly freighter service to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, starting  April 6, 2016.

The new freighter service to Cambodia’s capital is the carrier’s 53rd destination in its worldwide freighter network and the 13th in the Far East.

From Phnom Penh, cargo will be transported via a trucking network to reach other cities and regions in Cambodia.

"Cambodia’s air cargo market is growing at a robust rate with Europe and the United States being key export markets. Establishing a presence in this market will position Emirates SkyCargo to benefit from the healthy growth potential. Our strong route network and Dubai’s location as a global cargo hub mean that we can connect our customers in Asia to 150 destinations, including 42 gateways in Europe, 14 gateways in North America and 27 gateways in Africa," said Hiran Perera, Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo.

According to Cambodia Airports, which manages the country’s three international airports, the volume of air freight shipments to and from Cambodia increased 14 per cent in 2015 to 38,065 tonnes1. The Cambodia-EU trade lane for air cargo is also one of the fastest-growing trade lanes linking emerging and developed markets with a compounded annual growth rate of 16.5 per cent in the last three years (2012 to 2015)2. The main imports to Cambodia are expected to include fabric and leather while the main exports are textiles and garments.

Emirates SkyCargo will be starting its service with an MD 11 freighter aircraft, providing dedicated outsourced capacity for 80 tonnes of cargo. The aircraft’s wide body will also enable it to uplift outsized cargo and carry larger consignments.

In addition to belly-hold cargo services on Emirates’ fleet of 236 aircraft, Emirates SkyCargo has a fleet of 15 freighters, comprising 13 Boeing 777Fs and two Boeing 747-400 ERFs that operate from their base at Dubai World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport.