Dubai, UAE, 01 October 2026- Emirates SkyCargo is marking several major milestones in the transportation of time and temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals through Dubai.

The air cargo carrier is celebrating a decade of investment in world-class pharma logistics since September 2016 when it launched its specialised product for transportation of pharmaceuticals and unveiled its GDP (Good Distribution Practice) certified dedicated pharma handling hub in Dubai, ensuring the highest standards of quality and temperature-controlled handling. Since launching Pharma, Emirates SkyCargo has transported more than one million pharma shipments, equivalent to over 800,000 tonnes of pharma cargo, connecting pharmaceutical manufacturers, healthcare providers and patients across six continents.

The milestone underscores Emirates SkyCargo’s leading capabilities and strengths in pharma logistics as well as the emergence of Dubai as one of the prominent global hubs for rapid and seamless transport of temperature sensitive pharma. Today, Emirates SkyCargo’s Dubai hub boasts over 16,500 sq metres of GDP certified handling and storage area across DXB and DWC as well as a dedicated fleet of over 55 cool dollies for pharma cargo. Cool Dollies are mobile temperature-controlled containers that maintain shipment temperature during transfer from aircraft hold to terminal or vice versa or during Quick Ramp Transfers between two aircraft.

On average, Emirates SkyCargo transports between 1.5 and 2 million kilograms of pharmaceutical products every week on its flights.

Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo, said: “Over the last decade, Emirates SkyCargo’s pharma product has become the gold standard for air transportation of pharmaceuticals. This has not happened by chance or by accident. It is the result of years of investing in our processes, our capabilities, our people and our infrastructure. It is also an outcome of working closely with pharma shippers, freight forwarders, airports, ground handlers, multi-modal transport providers and other parties in the cool-chain ecosystem to develop customised solutions that meet industry needs. We’re also constantly evolving our offerings to keep pace with the latest developments. We ultimately have only one goal, and that is to make sure that we transport these lifesaving medicines and treatments in the best possible conditions as they directly touch the lives of people around the world.”

Connecting global pharma markets through Dubai

Emirates SkyCargo facilitates the movement of pharmaceutical products across global markets, connecting major life sciences manufacturing hubs with healthcare providers around the world. Some of the largest pharma origin markets for Emirates SkyCargo include India, Germany, Belgium, UK, USA and Switzerland. Leveraging its extensive global network, high-frequency wide body flight capacity and purpose-built pharma infrastructure in Dubai, Emirates SkyCargo provides seamless connectivity to pharmaceutical cargo.

A decade of innovation in pharma logistics

The launch of Emirates Pharma in 2016 marked a major milestone in Emirates SkyCargo's strategy to develop specialised cargo solutions for different verticals. Supporting Emirates SkyCargo’s pharma solution, the carrier inaugurated its dedicated GDP-certified pharmaceutical handling facilities in Dubai, creating a purpose-built environment for the storage, handling and transportation of temperature-sensitive medicines.

Over the following decade, Emirates SkyCargo continued to invest in specialised infrastructure, equipment and services to support the evolving needs of pharmaceutical shippers and healthcare providers. Key milestones include:

• 2017: Initiating key partnerships with specialised container manufacturers for transporting pharmaceuticals onboard with very specific temperature requirements.
• 2018: Launch of Emirates Pharma Corridors, connecting high volume pharma hubs. Emirates SkyCargo partnered with local airports and local ground handling partners to safeguard product integrity from journey to destination.
• 2020-2022: During the pandemic, Emirates SkyCargo played a pivotal role in global healthcare logistics including setting up a dedicated GDP certified hub for vaccine transport and flying more than one billion doses of vaccines.
• 2023: With pharma supply chains becoming increasingly sophisticated, Emirates SkyCargo expanded its offering in 2023 with the launch of Emirates Vital and Emirates Medical Devices, providing specialised solutions for the transportation of critical healthcare shipments including human organs, tissues, cell and gene therapies, clinical trial materials and medical equipment.
• 2025: Emirates SkyCargo's pharmaceutical network grew to 43 pharma stations worldwide. In addition, Emirates SkyCargo also established dedicated 2-8°C temperature corridors across select pharma hubs supported by specialised handling processes and agreed standards.

Emirates SkyCargo has also pioneered the development and deployment of thermal protection solutions including thermal blankets for pharma shipments in order to provide end to end protection for pharma cargo. Emirates SkyCargo is the only global air cargo carrier to deploy thermal blankets for all pharma shipments without exception. In 2026, the cargo carrier has also expanded its pool of suppliers for thermal blankets improving availability across key markets, reducing transportation costs and enabling faster lead times for customers worldwide.

As Emirates SkyCargo's pharma product enters its second decade, the carrier remains committed to continuously investing in specialised healthcare logistics capabilities, developing new solutions for emerging healthcare segments and working closely with partners around the world to strengthen global pharma supply chains. As the industry evolves beyond traditional pharmaceuticals towards increasingly specialised treatments, including cell and gene therapies, biologics and precision medicines, Emirates SkyCargo continues to innovate its infrastructure, processes and product portfolio to meet changing customer needs. Through ongoing innovation, strategic collaboration and continued investment in infrastructure and technology, Emirates SkyCargo will support the seamless global movement of pharmaceuticals while reinforcing Dubai's position as a leading global hub for the transport of advanced healthcare products.

Dubai/ London 03 August 2026- Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, is flying the best of British exports across diverse sectors from delicate seasonal produce to high-performance engineering and lifesaving pharmaceuticals on its flights. The air cargo carrier transported over 57,000 tonnes of exports from the UK during FY 2025-26 to the rest of its global network, an increase of 11% from the previous year (FY 2024-25).  Between April and June 2026, Emirates SkyCargo has seen exports from the UK growing at 7% when compared to the same period last year.

Khawla Abdulla, VP Cargo Commercial Europe, Emirates SkyCargo, said: “The strong growth in exports from the UK reflects the increasing importance of fast, reliable and globally connected logistics networks in enabling international trade. Emirates SkyCargo plays a vital role in linking businesses across UK and Europe with high-growth markets in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australasia, providing seamless access to customers around the world. By bridging UK’s regional production centres directly to our expanding global network via our hub in Dubai and through our specialised cargo solutions, we continue to strengthen the flow of trade supporting industries ranging from life sciences and aerospace to perishables and advanced manufacturing. At the same time, we ensure that customers around the world have rapid access to premium international products. As demand continues to grow, Emirates SkyCargo remains committed to connecting businesses with opportunities worldwide.”

Building on its strong performance, Emirates SkyCargo is supporting continued growth in UK exports, delivering the best of UK innovation globally with particular focus on the aerospace, life sciences and perishables exports. The cargo carrier offers wide body cargo connectivity on over 140 weekly flights from eight UK gateways including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted. 

Aerospace and Advanced Technology

One of the global leaders in the aerospace industry, the UK remains at the forefront of driving new technologies and innovations. Between January and June 2026, Emirates SkyCargo has transported over 570 tonnes of aircraft parts and aerospace components from the UK to Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. Emirates SkyCargo’s specialised product in the Aerospace and Engineering vertical, AOG, grew by more than 300% year-on-year between Jan and June 2026, highlighting the carrier’s ability to provide rapid and reliable logistics for critical aviation requirements. 

Beyond aerospace, Emirates SkyCargo has transported high-value technology infrastructure, including data centre equipment and server racks from the UK to global markets. 

The majority of high-tech equipment and aerospace components transported by Emirates SkyCargo originate from manufacturing and engineering clusters around Manchester and London, with these airports serving as key gateways linking these products directly to international markets.

With specialised handling capabilities and a global network, Emirates SkyCargo enables the seamless transport of critical technology assets to markets worldwide. 

Life Sciences

Emirates SkyCargo has also played a key role in transporting world-class life sciences products whether pharmaceuticals, biologics or clinical trial medications from the UK to other markets. In the first half of 2026, Emirates SkyCargo transported over 1600 tonnes of pharmaceuticals on its aircraft from the UK. The carrier also carried more than 26 tonnes of clinical trial medications from the market. 

Newcastle is among the carrier's key regional gateways for pharmaceutical exports, serving a major life sciences manufacturing base in the Northeast and enabling time and temperature sensitive products to connect rapidly with markets worldwide. 

With its modern fleet, GDP certified infrastructure as well as specialised multi-tier offerings for time and temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals, Emirates SkyCargo continues to be an industry leader in the global movement of pharmaceuticals by air. 

Food & Perishables

Over the first half of 2026, Emirates SkyCargo has been a key enabler of exports for British farms and food producers. The carrier facilitated the exports of specialty food from the UK, including more than 1500 tonnes of Scottish Shellfish as well as over 1200 tonnes of smoked salmon to international markets around the world. Much of the Scottish seafood transported by Emirates SkyCargo is shipped directly from Glasgow and Edinburgh, enabling exporters to reach international markets faster and helping premium products arrive fresher to consumers around the world. 

Over 1000 tonnes of food items were flown from the UK to the UAE during this period- the equivalent of 10 fully loaded B777 freighter aircraft. 250 tonnes of strawberries and more than 150 tonnes of cheese were among some of the food items flown to Dubai. 

With Emirates Fresh, the carrier’s specialised product for perishables with three service levels designed for different handling requirements, Emirates SkyCargo ensures that items like fruits, vegetables, seafood and meat are protected from origin to destination. 

Supporting other verticals

In addition to the above verticals, Emirates SkyCargo also facilitated movement of premium automobiles manufactured in the UK and precious works of art to museums and collections around the world.  

Emirates Courier Express, Emirates SkyCargo’s  door to door cross-border delivery solution for businesses is also helping British businesses and retailers in fashion and other consumer goods and components reach global customers. 

Protecting wildlife

Over and above the movement of trade goods, Emirates SkyCargo also remains committed to the protection of wildlife and habitats around the world. Recently the carrier supported British charity Dogs 4 Wildlife to transport two conservation dogs trained in the UK to Matusadona National Park in Zimbabwe. The dogs are working alongside rangers on the frontlines of the park protecting the wildlife of the park from illegal poaching activities. Emirates is one of the founding signatories of the Buckingham Palace Declaration and member of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce. The airline is a global leader in the fight against trafficking and exploitation of wildlife.

 About Emirates SkyCargo

Emirates SkyCargo is an important facilitator of trade across international markets offering cargo capacity on Emirates’ fleet of over 280 aircraft including dedicated freighters. The cargo carrier has embarked on an ambitious programme of fleet and network expansion to keep up with global demand for air cargo capacity. Since March 2026, the airline has taken delivery of six new Boeing 777-F production freighters and its first Boeing 777-300ERSF converted from a passenger aircraft. Four additional Boeing 777-F production freighters and the second Boeing 777-300ERSF will join Emirates SkyCargo’s freighter fleet by the end of 2026. 

Customers can contact their local Emirates SkyCargo office or visit skycargo.com for more information on flights and services available to them.