Columbus freighter to help Midwest exporters discover new markets

Columbus, Ohio is to join Emirates SkyCargo’s freighter network a weekly service to Rickenbacker International Airport from 27 May, the Dubai carrier announced at the Air Cargo Europe Exhibition and Conference in Munich on 6 May. The new 777F service will become Emirates SkyCargo’s 48th freighter destination and sixth in the US.
The aircraft has a cargo capacity of just over 100 tonnes and its main deck cargo door is one of the widest of any aircraft, says Emirates.
The carrier’s divisional senior vice president, cargo, Nabil Sultan, said: “With the addition of Columbus to our freighter schedule, we will be able to connect businesses in the US mid-west and the rest of our global network through our Dubai hub, creating new opportunities for American companies to reach new markets. Columbus also serves as an ideal alternative point to Chicago where shipments originating or destined to the mid-west can be trucked much more efficiently.”
President and chief executive of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, Elaine Roberts, added: “We have been working together to position Rickenbacker as a critical global air cargo gateway for all commodities. When the Emirates SkyCargo service from Dubai is combined with the existing import and export services through Asia and Europe, Rickenbacker will provide global business solutions in a way the region has never seen before.”
Expected airfreighted products include high fashion, pharmaceuticals, automotive spares, electronics and machinery. The flight will depart on Wednesday every week and stop in Copenhagen on route to Columbus, and in Chicago and Copenhagen on the return flight to Dubai.