From strawberries to aircraft engines: Emirates SkyCargo supercharges UK exports

• 11% year-on-year growth in UK exports on Emirates SkyCargo
• Aerospace, Life Sciences and Perishables driving growth this year
• High demand for British food and specialty produce
• Enhanced regional connectivity linking eight UK gateways directly to global markets

Dubai/ London 03 August 2026- Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, is flying the best of British exports across diverse sectors from delicate seasonal produce to high-performance engineering and lifesaving pharmaceuticals on its flights. The air cargo carrier transported over 57,000 tonnes of exports from the UK during FY 2025-26 to the rest of its global network, an increase of 11% from the previous year (FY 2024-25).  Between April and June 2026, Emirates SkyCargo has seen exports from the UK growing at 7% when compared to the same period last year.

Khawla Abdulla, VP Cargo Commercial Europe, Emirates SkyCargo, said: “The strong growth in exports from the UK reflects the increasing importance of fast, reliable and globally connected logistics networks in enabling international trade. Emirates SkyCargo plays a vital role in linking businesses across UK and Europe with high-growth markets in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australasia, providing seamless access to customers around the world. By bridging UK’s regional production centres directly to our expanding global network via our hub in Dubai and through our specialised cargo solutions, we continue to strengthen the flow of trade supporting industries ranging from life sciences and aerospace to perishables and advanced manufacturing. At the same time, we ensure that customers around the world have rapid access to premium international products. As demand continues to grow, Emirates SkyCargo remains committed to connecting businesses with opportunities worldwide.”

Building on its strong performance, Emirates SkyCargo is supporting continued growth in UK exports, delivering the best of UK innovation globally with particular focus on the aerospace, life sciences and perishables exports. The cargo carrier offers wide body cargo connectivity on over 140 weekly flights from eight UK gateways including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted. 

Aerospace and Advanced Technology

One of the global leaders in the aerospace industry, the UK remains at the forefront of driving new technologies and innovations. Between January and June 2026, Emirates SkyCargo has transported over 570 tonnes of aircraft parts and aerospace components from the UK to Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. Emirates SkyCargo’s specialised product in the Aerospace and Engineering vertical, AOG, grew by more than 300% year-on-year between Jan and June 2026, highlighting the carrier’s ability to provide rapid and reliable logistics for critical aviation requirements. 

Beyond aerospace, Emirates SkyCargo has transported high-value technology infrastructure, including data centre equipment and server racks from the UK to global markets. 

The majority of high-tech equipment and aerospace components transported by Emirates SkyCargo originate from manufacturing and engineering clusters around Manchester and London, with these airports serving as key gateways linking these products directly to international markets.

With specialised handling capabilities and a global network, Emirates SkyCargo enables the seamless transport of critical technology assets to markets worldwide. 

Life Sciences

Emirates SkyCargo has also played a key role in transporting world-class life sciences products whether pharmaceuticals, biologics or clinical trial medications from the UK to other markets. In the first half of 2026, Emirates SkyCargo transported over 1600 tonnes of pharmaceuticals on its aircraft from the UK. The carrier also carried more than 26 tonnes of clinical trial medications from the market. 

Newcastle is among the carrier's key regional gateways for pharmaceutical exports, serving a major life sciences manufacturing base in the Northeast and enabling time and temperature sensitive products to connect rapidly with markets worldwide. 

With its modern fleet, GDP certified infrastructure as well as specialised multi-tier offerings for time and temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals, Emirates SkyCargo continues to be an industry leader in the global movement of pharmaceuticals by air. 

Food & Perishables

Over the first half of 2026, Emirates SkyCargo has been a key enabler of exports for British farms and food producers. The carrier facilitated the exports of specialty food from the UK, including more than 1500 tonnes of Scottish Shellfish as well as over 1200 tonnes of smoked salmon to international markets around the world. Much of the Scottish seafood transported by Emirates SkyCargo is shipped directly from Glasgow and Edinburgh, enabling exporters to reach international markets faster and helping premium products arrive fresher to consumers around the world. 

Over 1000 tonnes of food items were flown from the UK to the UAE during this period- the equivalent of 10 fully loaded B777 freighter aircraft. 250 tonnes of strawberries and more than 150 tonnes of cheese were among some of the food items flown to Dubai. 

With Emirates Fresh, the carrier’s specialised product for perishables with three service levels designed for different handling requirements, Emirates SkyCargo ensures that items like fruits, vegetables, seafood and meat are protected from origin to destination. 

Supporting other verticals

In addition to the above verticals, Emirates SkyCargo also facilitated movement of premium automobiles manufactured in the UK and precious works of art to museums and collections around the world.  

Emirates Courier Express, Emirates SkyCargo’s  door to door cross-border delivery solution for businesses is also helping British businesses and retailers in fashion and other consumer goods and components reach global customers. 

Protecting wildlife

Over and above the movement of trade goods, Emirates SkyCargo also remains committed to the protection of wildlife and habitats around the world. Recently the carrier supported British charity Dogs 4 Wildlife to transport two conservation dogs trained in the UK to Matusadona National Park in Zimbabwe. The dogs are working alongside rangers on the frontlines of the park protecting the wildlife of the park from illegal poaching activities. Emirates is one of the founding signatories of the Buckingham Palace Declaration and member of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce. The airline is a global leader in the fight against trafficking and exploitation of wildlife.