Emirates SkyCargo crosses one million pharma shipments

Emirates SkyCargo has transported more than one million pharmaceutical shipments through Dubai since it launched its dedicated Pharma product in September 2016. The carrier says this is equivalent to over 800,000 tonnes of cargo.

The shipments connect manufacturers, healthcare providers and patients across six continents. The milestone coincides with the tenth anniversary of the product and of the carrier's GDP (Good Distribution Practice) certified pharma handling hub in Dubai.

Emirates SkyCargo currently carries between 1.5 million and 2 million kilogrammes of pharmaceutical products every week on its flights. Its Dubai facilities cover more than 16,500 square metres of GDP-certified handling and storage space across Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC). The carrier also operates over 55 cool dollies, which are mobile temperature-controlled containers that keep shipments at the right temperature during transfers between aircraft and terminals or between two aircraft.

India, Germany, Belgium, the UK, the USA and Switzerland are among the carrier's largest pharma origin markets.

Commenting on the milestone, Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo, said: "Over the last decade, Emirates SkyCargo's pharma product has become the gold standard for air transportation of pharmaceuticals. This has not happened by chance or by accident. It is the result of years of investing in our processes, our capabilities, our people and our infrastructure."

He added that the carrier works closely with shippers, freight forwarders, airports, ground handlers and other cool-chain partners to develop customised solutions. "We ultimately have only one goal, and that is to make sure that we transport these lifesaving medicines and treatments in the best possible conditions as they directly touch the lives of people around the world," Abbas said.

Emirates SkyCargo says the 2016 launch of Emirates Pharma was a key step in its strategy to build specialised cargo solutions for different verticals, and it has steadily expanded its pharma capabilities since. In 2017 it began partnering with specialised container manufacturers to carry shipments with very specific temperature requirements, and in 2018 it introduced Emirates Pharma Corridors linking high-volume pharma hubs, working with local airports and ground handlers to protect product integrity.

During the pandemic years of 2020 to 2022, the carrier set up a dedicated GDP-certified hub for vaccines and flew more than one billion doses. In 2023, as pharma supply chains grew more sophisticated, it added Emirates Vital and Emirates Medical Devices to handle critical healthcare cargo such as human organs, tissues, cell and gene therapies, clinical trial materials and medical equipment. By 2025, its pharma network had grown to 43 stations worldwide, and it had set up dedicated 2-8°C temperature corridors across select hubs, supported by specialised handling processes and agreed standards.

The airline says it is the only global air cargo carrier to use thermal blankets on all pharma shipments without exception. In 2026, it widened its pool of thermal blanket suppliers, which it says improves availability in key markets, lowers costs and shortens lead times for customers.

Looking ahead, Emirates SkyCargo says it will keep investing in healthcare logistics as the industry moves towards cell and gene therapies, biologics and precision medicines. The carrier says this will also reinforce Dubai's position as a leading global hub for advanced healthcare products.