Emirates launches MD-11 freighter to Phnom Penh

Emirates Skycargo has launched a weekly freighter service to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, becoming the Middle East carrier’s thirteenth all-cargo destination in the Far East.
The Dubai-hubbed operator will start the service with a leased MD-11 freighter aircraft, providing dedicated outsourced capacity for 80 tonnes of cargo. The aircraft’s widebody will also enable it to uplift outsized cargo and carry larger consignments.
From Phnom Penh, cargo will be transported via a trucking network to reach other cities and regions in Cambodia.
Hiran Perera, senior vice president of Emirates SkyCargo, said: “Cambodia’s air cargo market is growing at a robust rate, with Europe and the US being key export markets.
“Establishing a presence in this market will position Emirates SkyCargo to benefit from the healthy growth potential.
“Our strong route network and Dubai’s location as a global cargo hub mean that we can connect our customers in Asia to 150 destinations, including 42 gateways in Europe, 14 gateways in North America and 27 gateways in Africa.”
According to Cambodia Airports, which manages the country’s three international airports, the volume of airfreight shipments to and from Cambodia increased 14% in 2015 to 38,065 tonnes.
The Cambodia-European Union trade lane for air cargo is also one of the fastest-growing trade lanes linking emerging and developed markets with a compounded annual growth rate of 16.5% in the last three years (2012 to 2015), according to Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index 2016.
The main imports to Cambodia are expected to include fabric and leather while the main exports are textiles and garments. 
In addition to bellyhold cargo services on Emirates’ fleet of 236 aircraft, Emirates SkyCargo has a fleet of 15 freighters, comprising 13 Boeing 777Fs and two Boeing 747-400 ERFs that operate from Dubai World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport.