Emirates SkyCargo has transported more than one million pharmaceutical shipments through Dubai since launching its dedicated pharma product in September 2016, the airline's cargo division said on Friday.

The shipments are equivalent to more than 800,000 tonnes of cargo, linking drug manufacturers, healthcare providers and patients across six continents, according to a statement from Emirates.

The carrier said it now moves between 1.5 million and two million kilograms of pharmaceutical products every week on its flights.

When it launched the product in 2016, Emirates SkyCargo also opened a dedicated pharma handling hub in Dubai certified under Good Distribution Practice (GDP) standards. The carrier said the facility now covers more than 16,500 square metres of GDP-certified handling and storage space across Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) airports.

It also operates a fleet of more than 55 "cool dollies", which are mobile temperature-controlled containers used to keep shipments at the required temperature while they are moved between aircraft and terminals, or between two aircraft.

Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President of Emirates SkyCargo, said the product had become "the gold standard for air transportation of pharmaceuticals" over the past decade. He attributed this to long-term investment in processes, people and infrastructure, and to close work with shippers, freight forwarders, airports, ground handlers and others in the cool-chain ecosystem. He added that the company's aim is to carry medicines and treatments in the best possible conditions.

The largest origin markets for its pharma cargo include India, Germany, Belgium, the UK, the US and Switzerland, the carrier said.

Emirates SkyCargo listed these milestones over the decade:

2017: Partnerships with specialised container manufacturers for transporting pharmaceuticals with strict temperature requirements.

2018: Launch of Emirates Pharma Corridors linking high-volume pharma hubs, with local airports and ground handlers.

2020-2022: During the Covid-19 pandemic, the carrier set up a dedicated GDP-certified hub for vaccines and flew more than one billion vaccine doses.

2023: Launch of Emirates Vital and Emirates Medical Devices, covering items such as human organs, tissues, cell and gene therapies, clinical trial materials and medical equipment.

2025: Network expanded to 43 pharma stations worldwide, and dedicated 2-8°C temperature corridors set up across selected hubs.

Emirates SkyCargo also said 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 said improves availability, reduces costs and shortens lead times. The claims are the carrier's own and were not independently verified.

Looking ahead, the carrier said it would keep investing in specialised healthcare logistics, including for cell and gene therapies, biologics and precision medicines, and aims to reinforce Dubai's position as a global hub for advanced healthcare products.

Source: PR