Emirates, the fourth-largest cargo airline in the world by traffic carried and No. 2 in passengers, said Wednesday it has increased main-deck cargo capacity by 15% with the wet lease of two additional Boeing 747-400 freighters to meet surging demand.
The large all-cargo aircraft are being rented under a multiyear transportation services agreement with Bulgaria-based Compass Cargo Airlines, the Dubai-based carrier said in a news release.
“We anticipate that demand will continue to boom, reflecting Dubai’s prominence as a global logistics hub,” said Badr Abbas, divisional senior vice president for Emirates SkyCargo.
The carriers are discussing potential expansion of their partnership, according to Emirates’ cargo division.
Compass Cargo Airlines, which is less than 3 years old, took delivery of its second 747-400 freighter, an extended-range version, on Tuesday, according to data on aircraft tracking site Flightradar24. The freighter previously flew for Turkish all-cargo carrier ACT Airlines, which operated the plane under contract to Qatar Airways Cargo until last month. Compass acquired its first 747-400 from ACT Airlines in mid-2023.
Flightradar24 shows another 747-400ER freighter arrived Thursday at Sofia International Airport in Bulgaria from Istanbul, suggesting that Compass has acquired a third freighter from ACT Airlines.
Compass Cargo Airlines did not respond to a query placed through its generic inbox.
Flightradar24 shows a Compass 747 operating several times in mid-December between Birmingham, England, Dubai and Hong Kong, and shuttling between Dubai and Hong Kong since Jan. 9. An Emirates representative said both planes are now in service.
Emirates fleet buildup
Emirates SkyCargo received two 777 freighters from Boeing last year, which were deployed to the Asia market to support heavy growth e-commerce exports. The fleet now has 16 aircraft – 10 self-operated 777s and six Boeing 747-400s flown by contractors. Emirates recently operated 11 freighters, but recently retired one of them.
Emirates SkyCargo last year resumed outsourcing 747 freighter operations after ending the practice in 2017. Michigan-based Kalitta Air and Aerotranscargo, based in the United Arab Emirates, were each issued contracts to fly a 747-400, FreightWaves reported. Only Aerotranscargo continues to work for Emirates, the company representative said via email.
The additional aircraft are allowing Emirates SkyCargo to widen its network. On Jan. 1, the carrier deployed a dedicated weekly freighter from Copenhagen to its Dubai hub to meet growing demand for transportation out of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Emirates previously served Copenhagen with bellyhold capacity in passenger aircraft. The Boeing 777 now being used offers about 94 tons of cargo capacity.
In Dubai, shipments are routed around the world through Emirates’ extensive passenger and all-cargo networks.
Emirates SkyCargo said cargo volume from Denmark grew more than 20% in the past fiscal year, which ended March 31, driven by pharmaceutical shipments. Scandinavia has a strong life sciences industry, and there is extensive temperature-controlled warehousing in Copenhagen to serve it. Dubai serves as a major reconsolidation point for trade moving between Europe, Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
The addition of Copenhagen brings the number of destinations served by Emirates freighters to 38.
SkyCargo also manages cargo that moves in Emirates’ passenger operations. Emirates recently added five destinations to its passenger network, including Johannesburg and Melbourne, Australia, which will increase freight volumes this year.
Air cargo demand increased more than 10% year over year in 2024, as shippers sought ocean alternatives because of conflict in the Red Sea and threatened U.S. port strikes. But the primary demand driver continues to be e-commerce platforms, which are reserving large amounts of air cargo capacity out of Asia.
More than 20% of general air cargo volumes worldwide are now considered to come from e-commerce platforms, and upwards of 60% of air shipments out of the greater Hong Kong region originate with online marketplaces in China, according to local airlines and industry experts. Freighters operating last year out of China and other parts of Asia were nearly full, especially during the peak season.
Emirates has firm orders for 13 factory-built 777s, which are expected to be delivered by the end of 2026. The airline has previously said some of the new freighters will replace older 777s. It expects to have 21 777s flying in two years.
Emirates also is investing in the conversion of 10 Boeing 777-300 passenger jets into freighters through an arrangement with Israel Aircraft Industries. The IAI conversion design is undergoing regulatory review in the United States, Europe and Israel for commercial production.
More FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.
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