Emirates emphasizing perishables expertise

This summer, Emirates SkyCargo is carrying thousands of tonnes of temperature-sensitive commodities.

Perishable products such as fruit, vegetables, flowers and fresh meat from Africa and chilled meat from Australia, as well as pharmaceuticals from India, and many other commodities from various countries, are shipped on Emirates SkyCargo, through its Cool Chain services.

In 2013, the freight division of Emirates transported more than 313,000 tonnes of time- and temperature-sensitive goods on its freighters and in the belly-hold of its passenger aircraft across its network.

“We take pride in providing special controlled facilities to ensure temperature-sensitive products remain at a constant cool temperature both in the air and on the ground, even during the hot summer months wherever we operate. Our intricate process boosts the life of perishable commodities by preserving the cool chain throughout the journey,” said Moaza Al Falahi, Emirates vice president cargo product development and local affairs. “Using innovative products such as active temperature controlled containers, warehouses, cool dollies and white covers, we’re at the forefront in preserving the most sensitive and highest quality of goods wherever the pickup or delivery destinations are in the world.”

Emirates SkyCargo’s range of techniques for transporting perishable products includes Cool Chain Premium, Cool Chain Advanced and Cool Chain Basic.

Cool Chain Premium is designed to move health care products, and offers active temperature-controlled containers, prioritized ground handling, temperature control in the cargo hold in all aircraft, cool dollies used on request for tarmac transportation, temperature controlled handling and storage, as well as online temperature monitoring and the services of an Envirotainer provider.

Also developed to transfer pharmaceutical goods, Cool Chain Advanced offers similar features to Cool Chain Premium, with the exception of a qualified Envirotainer provider, online temperature monitoring and a few other services.

Cool Chain Basic offers mainly temperature controlled handling and storage and expedited delivery.

Emirates SkyCargo’s perishable handling capacity has expanded with the recent opening of the freighter terminal at Dubai World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport, where it has a perishable area designed to handle about 140,000 tonnes of cargo annually.