During the pandemic, as global supply chains were disrupted due to the suspension of passenger flights, Emirates SkyCargo provided much needed air cargo connectivity through its cargo only passenger freighter flights to Auckland and Christchurch. This facilitated the export of food, produce and other commodities, helping New Zealand retain its position as one of the global leaders in exports of premium food and produce.
In early May, Emirates SkyCargo restarted cargo flights to New Zealand with its passenger freighter aircraft, working with the New Zealand government as part of its International Airfreight Capacity Scheme (IAFC). This connected New Zealand exporters with their international customers. Currently, the air cargo carrier offers cargo capacity on six flights a week from Auckland and one flight a week from Christchurch connecting New Zealand to other markets in the region as well as the rest of the world through Dubai.
As reported on voxy.co.nz¸ Emirates SkyCargo helped export more than 8,000 tons of cargo from New Zealand on 650+ flights to close to 200 global destinations in 2020. Food items and produce formed more than half of the total exports from New Zealand.
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