Emirates SkyCargo and Air Canada Cargo have entered into a preliminary agreement to collaborate on initiatives that will increase their capacity and extend their combined network. The deal builds upon a codeshare agreement the two airlines entered into last year. The agreement will provide customers with greater access to capacity through the expansion of freight interline options, as well as block space agreements, subject to regulatory approval.
“Co-operating with Air Canada Cargo will offer our clients added value through more rapid reach to new destinations in Canada via our Toronto and US gateways,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ divisional senior vice president of cargo. The cargo agreement comes after the two airlines announced a codeshare deal that started in November 2022, covering 46 destinations in North America, the Middle East, Africa, South-East Asia and India, as reported by The National. In 2021, Emirates ranked the second-biggest globally after Qatar Airways in terms of freight tonne kilometres, a measure of cargo demand, according to analysis by US plane manufacturer Boeing.
Emirates’ air freight arm transports cargo to more than 140 destinations in a global network spanning six continents. The air cargo carrier operates a fleet of all-widebody Boeing 777, Airbus A380 aircraft and 11 dedicated B777-F freighters. SkyCargo has been granted entry to over 60 Canadian cities and more than 150 cities worldwide, with Air Canada Cargo’s Boeing 767 freighters and scheduled passenger flights’ belly-hold capacity.
In turn, Air Canada Cargo will be able to use Emirates SkyCargo’s frequent distribution network through the belly-hold of Emirates passenger flights to 140+ destinations worldwide, as well as 11 freighters in the Emirates fleet. They will both leverage their expertise in cargo handling, such as oil and gas drilling equipment, car parts, and pharmaceuticals, on their own freighters or passenger aircraft.
“This agreement enables both carriers to work more closely to optimise our respective freighter and belly capacity throughout each of our extensive and complementing global networks,” said Matthieu Casey, managing director of commercial at Air Canada Cargo.” “Customers will benefit from these additional synergies by having access to an even greater array of options, destinations and streamlined handling when shipping globally,” Casey added.
