Emirates SkyCargo is set to start freighter services from Dubai to Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, from 13th January 2006.The service will be operated jointly with Air Cargo Ltd, a subsidiary of Air Malawi – the country’s national airline. Malawi, will be Emirates SkyCargo’s 12’th African Destination using the Airbus A310-300F freighter once a week, every Friday. Among the items expected to be transported are perishables, such as fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, to support Malawi’s predominantly agricultural economy. Other local produce will include tobacco, tea, coffee, beans, pulses, rice, chilies and nuts.
In addition to this Malawi’s exports of textiles, garments, furniture, gemstones, and live tropical fish are to be facilitated. These goods are extremely popular in Emirates’ destinations, which are also Malawi’s major markets, such as the USA, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, France and Switzerland. Hiran Perera, Emirates’ Vice President Cargo, Freighters said, “Malawi is an excellent destination for our A31 OF freighter route, with the country’s needs and our aircraft’s capabilities perfectly in sync with each other. Malawi is a mediumhaul destination from Dubai, and shipments arrive in excellent condition. With our top-class facilities at the hub, shipments can be cleared, carefully stored, or quickly turned around for onward journeys to cities across our network. Our new service will catalyze Malawi’s exports of perishables to the Middle East and to other destinations in Europe and the Far East.” To Malawi, Emirates SkyCargo is expecting to carry pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, machinery and IT equipment from around its network countries such as USA, UK, Germany, India, China, and Japan.
Nathaniel Limbe, General Manager, Air Cargo said “We are proud to partner with Emirates SkyCargo and we are confident that the introduction of the direct freighter service between Lilongwe and Dubai will spur considerable economic activity – not just benefiting Malawi but also the cities in the neighboring countries close to our border.”
Emirates SkyCargo’s commitment to maintaining and sustaining an unbroken cool chain throughout the supply chain is well established. The wide-bodied A310Fs have enhanced Dubai’s role as a regional cargo hub with its gross payload of 39 tonnes and state-of-the-art technology that offers excellent performance capabilities.
