Emirates SkyCargo and Teleport team up

Emirates SkyCargo and Teleport, exclusive cargo partner of AirAsia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a preferred partnership that will support trade and e-commerce flows.

Through interline options and block space agreements, the partnership between Emirates SkyCargo and Teleport aims to support the burgeoning trade between Southeast Asia and the rest of the world via Dubai, the UAE-based carrier said, describing Southeast Asia and the wider Asian continent as “the backbone of global manufacturing” – particularly for electronics, smart gadgets, fashion and textiles, machines, automobiles and pharmaceuticals.

It also noted that deals such as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) signed between the UAE and Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia, with Vietnam and Thailand expected to follow, are strengthening trade links between Southeast Asia and the UAE.

Under the new MoU, the freight-carrying arm of Emirates Airline will have access to bellyhold capacity on all AirAsia Group airline flights (AirAsia, AirAsia X, Indonesia AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia and AirAsia Cambodia), thus expanding its reach into Southeast Asia.

Teleport, which exclusively consolidates the bellyhold capacity of all AirAsia airlines, will in turn benefit from Emirates SkyCargo’s global network of over 145 destinations, with a particular focus on Europe, Africa and the US.

The MoU was signed at IATA’s World Cargo Symposium by Badr Abbas, Emirates SkyCargo’s divisional senior vice president and Pete Chareonwongsak, chief executive of Teleport.

Abbas said: “For almost 35 years, we have proudly served Southeast Asia, keeping goods flowing quickly, reliably and efficiently. This strategic partnership with Teleport and the AirAsia Group of airlines is an evolution of that commitment, enabling us to better serve our customers with increased capacity, more flexibility and access into new markets in Asia, combined with enhanced connectivity across our vast global network.”

Chareonwongsak said the partnership with Emirates SkyCargo “will enable the expansion of both our respective air networks, supporting Southeast Asia’s growing exports and facilitating the movement of e-commerce from China, through our connectivity beyond Southeast Asia, to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. E-commerce is expected to double its share of Southeast Asia’s air cargo volumes from 11% to 20% by 2029, driven by lightweight, high-frequency shipments replacing bulk freight and the rise in demand for express delivery.”