OREANDA-NEWS. Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, will expand its presence in Turkey when it begins daily, non-stop service to Sabiha G?k?en International Airport on 15 December 2015, increasing cargo capacity to and from the country by an additional 168 tonnes per week. 

The flight, which will be operated by an A330-200 aircraft with 24 tonnes of cargo capacity, will be the only daily wide-body passenger aircraft with bellyhold capacity to serve Sabiha G?k?en. Flight EK119 will depart Dubai at 17:15hrs and arrive at Sabiha G?k?en at 20:15hrs the same day. The return flight, EK120 will depart Sabiha G?k?en at 22:05hrs and will arrive in Dubai the following day at 4:20hrs. 

“Our cargo customers are increasingly looking for ways to ship their goods across the world at a faster pace. The introduction of service to Sabiha G?k?en not only provides an additional gateway for our customers in Turkey, but it also provides quicker access to shipping lanes for businesses located in eastern Istanbul,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo. 

The new service to Sabiha G?k?en International Airport operated by an A330-200 aircraft will offer Istanbul-based customers an additional 168 tonnes of payload capacity each week.

Sabiha G?k?en Airport is located 60 kilometres east of Istanbul’s Atat?rk Airport, where Emirates SkyCargo already offers 11 weekly flights on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The new flights to Sabiha G?k?en will save businesses in eastern Istanbul at least an hour’s journey by truck, as it will reduce the need for cargo to be trucked across congested city streets to be shipped via Atat?rk Airport. 

Each year, Emirates SkyCargo ships more than 5,300 tonnes of cargo in and out of Istanbul. Top imports include medicines, vaccinations, carpets and textiles. The airline began flying to Turkey’s largest city in 1987, making it one of the longest-running routes in Emirates SkyCargo’s network. 

Emirates SkyCargo is the world largest international air cargo carrier. Renowned for the highest standards of product quality in supporting business logistics, Emirates SkyCargo achieves customer satisfaction through innovation, flexibility and the constant refinement of service levels. 

In the 2014-15 financial year, Emirates SkyCargo reported a revenue of AED 12.3 billion (US$ 3.4 billion), a 9% increase over the previous year. Contributing 15% of the airline’s total transport revenue, Emirates SkyCargo plays an integral role in the company’s expanding operations. 

Emirates SkyCargo currently uses cargo hold capacity in Emirates’ fleet of 244 aircraft, including 15 freighters – 13 Boeing 777-Fs and two B747-400ERFs – and provides air cargo services to almost 150 destinations across six continents.