OREANDA-NEWS. Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, is set to further strengthen trade lanes between Switzerland and its worldwide network with the introduction of a weekly freighter service from Basel to Dubai starting 21st September 2014.

The new freighter flight will supplement the existing belly-hold cargo capacity in the Swiss market provided on Emirates' double-daily passenger services to Zurich as well as on the daily Geneva flights. Emirates SkyCargo currently offers more than 380 tons of capacity each week on its routes into Switzerland. Basel, the center of the Swiss pharmaceutical and chemical industry will become the 40th European destination to join the Emirates SkyCargo network, giving a further boost to bilateral trade links already in place between the UAE and the region.

Emirates SkyCargo will use a Boeing 777 freighter aircraft on the Basel-Dubai route, which is capable of carrying over 100 tons of cargo, and with its main deck cargo door being one of the widest of any aircraft, enabling it to uplift outsized cargo and carry larger consignments. The Boeing 777F is one of the most modern and technologically advanced freighters available and has the lowest fuel burn of any comparable size aircraft. Popular commodities and goods into and from the region are expected to be pharmaceuticals, chemicals, spare parts and medical devices.

“Europe is key growth region for Emirates SkyCargo and the new scheduled freighter service will create more trade opportunities for importers and exporters across the local markets and across our worldwide network. We are offering advanced Cool Chain and Priority products for goods under temperature requirement, oversize cargo and highly secured protect solutions for any valuable or vulnerable items. The economic region of Basel has a strong pharmaceutical and chemical industry and Emirates is offering seamless trade connections and an efficient hub with multiple flights for time and temperature sensitive freight”, says Hiran Perera, Emirates Senior Vice President Cargo Planning and Freighters.

“Thanks to its geographic position in the center of Europe, a catchment area with numerous manufacturing locations of global companies as well as its efficient new Cargo Terminal, the EuroAirport is an important European air cargo gateway”, he added.

“We are delighted about Emirates' decision to operate out of our airport," commented Juerg Raemi, Director EuroAirport. "This confirms the attractiveness of our unique geographical position on the borders of France, Switzerland and Germany, and near to Basel, home of many world-renowned pharmaceutical companies. In particular, the decision emphasizes the importance of our new Cargo Terminal, due to open at the beginning of 2015, which offers state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled infrastructure perfectly in line with the needs of local industry and logistics companies as well as optimal freight processing. The Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777F is also one of the most modern cargo planes in the market."

Emirates has continuously built up its presence in Europe since the launch of London-Gatwick services in 1987. Today, Emirates operates passenger and cargo services to 37 European destinations, with Oslo (effective 2nd September), Brussels (starting 5th September) and Budapest (effective 27th October) joining soon the airline's global route network spanning six continents. In addition to the new destinations, Emirates continues to add capacity to many of its European routes through larger aircraft and added frequency.

In addition to belly-hold cargo services on Emirates' fleet of 225 aircraft to more than 140 destinations around the world, Emirates SkyCargo has a fleet of 13 freighters, comprising of eleven Boeing 777Fs and two Boeing 747-400 ERFs that operate from their base at Dubai World Central's Al Maktoum International Airport.