Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, will expand its presence in Turkey when it begins daily, non-stop service to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport on December 15, increasing cargo capacity to and fro by an additional 168 tonnes per week.

The flight, which will be operated by an A330-200 aircraft with 24 tonnes of cargo capacity, will be the only daily wide-body passenger aircraft with bellyhold capacity to serve Sabiha Gökçen. Flight EK119 will depart Dubai at 17:15hrs and arrive at Sabiha Gökçen at 20:15hrs the same day. The return flight, EK120 will depart Sabiha Gökçen at 22:05hrs and will arrive in Dubai the following day at 4:20hrs.

“Our cargo customers are increasingly looking for ways to ship their goods across the world at a faster pace. The introduction of service to Sabiha Gökçen not only provides an additional gateway for our customers in Turkey, but it also provides quicker access to shipping lanes for businesses located in eastern Istanbul,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates divisional senior vice president, Cargo.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport is located 60 km east of Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport, where Emirates SkyCargo already offers 11 weekly flights on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The new flights to Sabiha Gökçen will save businesses in eastern Istanbul at least an hour’s journey by truck, as it will reduce the need for cargo to be trucked across congested city streets to be shipped via Atatürk Airport.

Each year, Emirates SkyCargo ships more than 5,300 tonnes of cargo in and out of Istanbul. Top imports include medicines, vaccinations, carpets and textiles. The airline began flying to Turkey’s largest city in 1987, making it one of the longest-running routes in Emirates SkyCargo’s network.