Emirates SkyCargo is stepping up its commitment to support the export ambitions of one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Air cargo is a critical enabler of India’s international trade, facilitating the movement of high-value, time-sensitive goods to global markets, with an estimated 2.2 million tonnes* of international cargo moving through Indian airports annually. Against this backdrop, Emirates SkyCargo plays an important role in supporting the country’s export ecosystem, connecting businesses, manufacturers and exporters to customers across the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Africa and beyond with more than 3,000 tonnes of weekly air cargo capacity across nine gateways.
During FY 2025/26, Emirates SkyCargo transported over 153,000 tonnes of exports from India on its flights supporting key sectors driving the country’s growth. Major export commodities transported by the carrier include pharmaceuticals, perishables, high-tech electronics, engineering and automotive components as well as fashion goods.
On an average, every week, Emirates SkyCargo transports more than 650 tonnes of pharmaceuticals and over 600 tonnes of fresh food and other perishables from India to global destinations via Dubai. The exports also included seasonal Indian delicacies such as mangoes from Indian gateways. Close to 2,900 tonnes of Indian mangoes were flown to global customers between April and June 2026 on Emirates SkyCargo.
Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo, said: “India is a strategic market for Emirates SkyCargo. With a fast-growing economy, the country is strengthening its position as a hub for manufacturing and production, expanding exports and trade corridors across the world. At Emirates SkyCargo, we are enabling Indian exporters to connect quickly and efficiently with international customers by providing rapid and reliable access to global supply chains. We have recently deployed our freighter aircraft to three additional gateways in India to support customers seamlessly transport their goods to global markets. With our extensive network covering more than 150 destinations, access to both maindeck and bellyhold capacity as well as specialised cargo solutions, Emirates SkyCargo remains committed to further elevating India’s success story by unlocking new trade opportunities and transporting the country’s exports to the world.”
Expanded network of freighter destinations
To support the growing demand for export capacity from the market, Emirates SkyCargo has introduced new weekly freighter services to Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad bringing total number of weekly freighter flights to the market at seven. The freighter flights complement the capacity offered on Emirates’ 167 weekly passenger flights and provide a direct and high capacity connect to global trade routes.
Deepening India-UAE trade
Emirates SkyCargo is supporting the continued expansion of trade between India and the UAE, underpinned by the deepening economic partnership between the two countries and the success of the CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement), which came into effect in May 2022. With non-oil trade between the two economies growing at an annual rate of around 15%, Emirates SkyCargo has been supporting these accelerating trade flows supporting more than 28,000 tonnes of exports from India to the UAE in FY25/26, a growth of 24% from the previous year.
Road Feeder Service
In addition to its online gateways, Emirates SkyCargo provides additional connectivity to Indian customers through an extensive road feeder network, providing access to offline locations across Indian states. Over the last 12 months, more than 4,500 tonnes of import and export cargo have been transported through trucking connectivity, enabling businesses outside of gateway cities to access Emirates SkyCargo’s global network.
Emirates SkyCargo is a global facilitator of trade offering cargo capacity on Emirates’ fleet of over 280 aircraft including dedicated freighters. Backed by a growing fleet and network and supported by a portfolio of specialised transportation solutions for pharmaceuticals, perishables, electronics, e-commerce, aerospace, valuable cargo and much more, Emirates SkyCargo supports customers across six continents with the speed, reliability and logistics expertise to compete in global markets.
