Emirates SkyCargo, the cargo division of the world’s largest international airline, has announced the deployment of a dedicated weekly freighter to Narita International Airport (NRT), expanding its global freighter network to 38 destinations. This new service marks a milestone as the first direct and scheduled freighter connection between Narita and the Middle East, offering faster and more flexible shipment solutions.
Japan remains a key market for Emirates SkyCargo, given its strong and diverse manufacturing base. The airline already operates a twice-weekly freighter to Kansai International Airport (KIX). With the addition of Narita to its freighter schedule, Emirates will boost cargo capacity by 100 tonnes in each direction. The new route is expected to support the transport of high-value goods such as automobile and machinery parts, semiconductor components, and advanced pharmaceuticals. These shipments will benefit from Emirates’ specialized multi-vertical cargo product portfolio, known for its efficiency and reliability.
Narita International Airport is currently Japan’s top facility for cargo throughput by value. Ongoing investment under the ‘New Narita Airport’ Development Plan is set to position it as the region’s leading cargo hub by the end of the decade.
“Expanding our dedicated freighter network is a key priority on our 10-year strategic roadmap and now, as we start to receive our all-new Boeing 777 freighters, we are able to reach new markets with enhanced capacity,” said Badr Abbas, Emirates SkyCargo’s Divisional Senior Vice President.
“Demand for our world-class product and services has been steadily growing in Narita, particularly for pharmaceuticals and consumer electronics, transported in the bellyhold of our daily passenger flight, while large or oddly-shaped shipments such as machinery parts were diverted to KIX,” he added. “The deployment of this freighter empowers us to better support our global customers with direct connectivity to and through Dubai, while growing our operations in Japan.”
The new Narita freighter service adds to Emirates SkyCargo’s strong footprint across East and Southeast Asia, where it currently operates 57 freighter flights per week and over 290 weekly passenger flights. The region remains one of its busiest, with further growth expected as the airline launches new passenger routes to Siem Reap (Cambodia), Da Nang (Vietnam), and Shenzhen (China) in the coming months.
The new flight, EK9413, is scheduled to begin operations on 24th May 2025. It will arrive at Narita International Airport on Saturdays at 01:00 AM UTC and depart for Dubai World Central at 03:00 AM UTC.
