Fueled by existing orders for new aircraft, Dubai’s Emirates SkyCargo will grow the number of flights across its network by 14 per cent this year and increase cargo capacity by 17 per cent. Weekly cargo capacity will increase by approximately four per cent to Australia, 10 per cent to Europe, 17 per cent to the Middle East, 15 per cent to Africa. The additional capacity will see more than 700 tonnes of cargo capacity added to the Emirates SkyCargo fleet. Capacity to the US will grow eight per cent when the three-times-weekly service to Los Angeles and San Francisco goes daily from May. The growth is a result of the delivery of two new, Boeing 777 freighters and 18 new wide-bodied passenger aircraft. Emirates currently has 129 wide-bodied aircraft, including eight freighters. By the end of March, that figure will stand at 132, including one Boeing 777 freighter. The carrier will take delivery of another Boeing 777 freighter in the 2009-10 fiscal year. “The last two years have not been easy for the air cargo industry, but we hope to see some stability return in the coming months,” said Emirates divisional senior vice-president cargo Ram Menen, who added that, “2009 will be a year of consolidation.”