Building on its four-decade commitment, Emirates SkyCargo eyes further growth in India, with the deployment of two additional weekly freighters, one to Mumbai and one to Ahmedabad. The cargo arm of the world’s largest international airline continues to strengthen trade lanes and connect businesses in India with their partners, suppliers and customers all over the world, with an average uplift of 3,000 tonnes weekly.
Emirates currently serves India with three weekly freighters – one to Mumbai and two to Ahmedabad – as well as bellyhold capacity in 167 passenger services to nine gateways. The new freighter service to Mumbai will launch on 4 March 2026, and connect Dubai, Singapore and India, while the Ahmedabad service will be a direct and dedicated freighter, and also launch in March. The airline expects to carry key commodities such as pharmaceuticals, fresh fruits, vegetables and other perishables as well as personal electronic devices on both freighters.
In addition to the freighters to India, Emirates SkyCargo will also deploy a dedicated weekly freighter to Dhaka, Bangladesh, from April 2026. This further expands the airline’s freighter network, reaffirming the burgeoning demand and Emirates SkyCargo’s longstanding commitment to the region.
“Our new freighter frequencies to India reflects both the strength of India’s trade corridors, and our long-term commitment to supporting them,” said Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo. “India is a powerhouse of manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, perishables and eCommerce and the demand for reliable and stable capacity continues to grow. These additional freighters bolster our existing operations, by offering more connectivity and capacity to ensure we continue to serve our customers in India and across the globe.”
As the third anniversary of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) nears, bilateral trade is booming, with India’s exports to the UAE growing faster than its overall export growth. Emirates SkyCargo supports the trade agreement, moving goods every week including 600 tonnes of pharmaceuticals, 500 tonnes of perishables, a significant tonnage of garments, textiles and clothing and a growing number of personal electronics such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets.
Beyond aircraft capacity, Emirates SkyCargo has built a vast trucking network, to reach more offline destinations across India. In 2025, over 1,000 Emirates SkyCargo trucks transported almost 5,500 tonnes of cargo across India, carrying shipments such as automotive and aircraft spare parts, clothing and textiles, machinery, tools, spices and even a satellite. The airline also deployed temperature-controlled reefer trucks to transport delicate pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.
The airline recently added Coimbatore and Goa to its road network as offline stations, unlocking new opportunities for businesses in these cities and surrounding areas to access global markets, via Emirates SkyCargo. Coimbatore in particular is a thriving hub of manufacturing and is home to a large number of SMEs working in engineering, textiles, automotive and more, so this access significantly contributes to India’s export economy.
Since starting operations to Mumbai and Delhi in 1985, Emirates SkyCargo has significantly scaled its network, and now serves nine cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkota, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. With the Cargo Open Sky policy for exports in India, the airline continues to grow its reach, strengthen outbound capabilities, and connect more primary and secondary cities to its well‑established global network.
This week, Emirates SkyCargo has been participating in industry discussions and workshops at Air Cargo India, one of the industry’s premier events. In addition to a full schedule of meetings, networking events and media briefings, the airline’s leadership joined panel discussions alongside other industry leaders to explore the significant evolution in India’s logistics ecosystem over the last two years. Emirates SkyCargo was also named International Airline of the Year at the STAT Times International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo, as voted for by the outlet’s international readers. The accolade, which Emirates SkyCargo received for the third consecutive year, is a testament to the airline’s commitment to facilitating the world’s rapidly changing supply chains.
