As excitement in the Middle East builds in the lead-up to the UAE's first F1 Grand Prix - to be held in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 1 - for Emirates SkyCargo the “big day' arrived early. The Dubai based carrier was trusted to transport the cars from S?o Paulo ‘s Viracopos Campinas International, where they raced in the Brazilian Grand Prix, to Abu Dhabi International Airport. It obtained special permission to operate to both airports, neither of which it operates scheduled freighters to. Emirates SkyCargo deployed two of its Boeing 747 freighters to transport the multi-million dollar cargo. In all 210,000 kg comprising racing and safety cars, spare parts and related equipment were shipped between the race courses. “We are honored to be a part of this major motor sporting event,” said Hiran Perera, Emirates senior vice president Cargo - Freighters. “Transporting such high-value cargo demands special handling throughout the whole process - from on-ground handling to loading them into the freighter, and also during the flight. “Emirates' staff, throughout our entire network of 100 stations, are well trained and highly experienced in dealing with precious consignments.” Emirates SkyCargo - the freight division of Emirates Airline carried 1.4 million tons of cargo in the 2008-09 financial year, an improvement of 9.8 per cent over the previous year's 1.3 million toes, helping revenue to increase by 14.8 per cent to $ 2.1 billion, up from $ 1.8 billion in 2007-08. Cargo revenue contributed 19 per cent to the airline's total transport revenue. Emirates SkyCargo took delivery of its first Boeing 777 freighter recently, bringing the total freighter fleet to eight aircraft - including six 747Fs, and two Boeing 777Fs.
