Emirates SkyCargo supports Sri Lankan perishables
31 / 10 / 2018
Dubai-headquartered Emirates SkyCargo transported 22.8% of Sri Lanka’s total air exports in 2017-18, moving 27,000 tonnes of Sri Lanka’s total air exports of 118,000 tonnes.
Temperature-sensitive perishable goods are among the principal exports from Sri Lanka and benefit from the carrier’s Emirates Fresh solution.
“In 2017-18, Emirates SkyCargo carried more than 7,500 tonnes of fish, which is about 40% of the 17,500 tonnes of edible fish that Sri Lanka exported to US and Europe,” said Kapila Santhapriya, Emirates Cargo manager Sri Lanka and Maldives.
“Our flight frequencies and our global network reach from Colombo support the local fish and seafood exports industry,” he added.
The types of fish exported on Emirates SkyCargo services include tuna, shrimp, prawns, crabs, and lobster to markets including the UK, France, Italy, Netherlands and the US. Sri Lankan exports of fish are valued at close to $250m, the airline said.
It also moved 5,000 tons of fruit and vegetables from Sri Lanka in 2017-18, including banana, papaya, pineapple, mangosteen, Rambutan, bitter gourd, green chillies, drumstick, snake gourd and red onion.
One of the main export markets for these perishable commodities is the Middle East. Others include the Maldives, the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and the Seychelles.
Another key industry in Sri Lanka is the production of readymade garments.
Emirates SkyCargo offers 28 Boeing 777 passenger flights to and from Colombo every week, each able to carry approximately 20 tonnes of belly cargo.
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