Leonard Neill EMIRATES SKYCARGO is enjoying a steady flow of cargo between South Africa and New Zealand following the recent introduction of a twice-daily service from Dubai to Auckland via Sydney and Melbourne. “The additional capacity has opened new doors for New Zealand exporters,” says Gavin Young, consul general and senior trade commissioner Middle East, South Asia and South Africa at the New Zealand consulate in Dubai. “They see this helping in the delivery of products such as high precision marine equipment, telecommunications technology and even fashion clothing.” Many of these New Zealand exports are destined for the larger northern hemisphere markets, but South Africa is on the supply charts. The rapid transhipment in Dubai of goods to and from South Africa is proving valuable to trade between the two countries, he says. The next big launch date on the Emirates calendar is October 26 when it will celebrate a double inauguration. The new Brisbane route will be extended to Auckland, marking the airline’s fourth Australian destination and a triple daily to New Zealand. The services will use wide-bodied Boeing 777-300 aircraft, capable of carrying 25 tons of cargo in each direction. Emirates SkyCargo is also stepping up its capacity to Frankfurt from Dubai, a connection which South African exporters have found useful. From this month the route will be increased to a twice-weekly freighter service, with an additional service on Wednesdays. The previous schedule was restricted to Sundays.
