Middle Eastern air freight provider Emirates SkyCargo, which calls itself the cargo arm of the world’s largest international airline, has announced plans to nearly double its fleet of airplanes in 2026 by adding 10 Boeing 777Fs.
At the start of the year, the first of Emirates SkyCargo’s Boeing 777Fs were delivered with another two in the following months, allowing the airline to retire older aircraft and deliver on its commitment to operate one of the youngest fleets in the sky, the company said.
The Dubai, United Arab Emirates-based company’s fleet currently stands at 11 Boeing 777Fs and 5 wet-leased Boeing 747s. The first Emirates’ passenger aircraft entered the conversion programe, with the view to start operations as a fully-fledged freighter in 2026. By the end of next year, Emirates SkyCargo aims to operate a fleet of at least 21 freighters, adding significantly more cargo capacity to current operations.
“2026 is set to be a pivotal year for our fleet expansion, with the expected delivery of up to 10 Boeing 777Fs by December, fueling our next era of growth,” Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo, said in a release. “This influx of capacity unlocks opportunities for network and scheduling expansions, offer more flexibility to scale our solutions and enable us to deliver even greater value across our global network.”
According to Emirates SkyCargo, the expansion follows its 2025 moves to add more freighter destinations to its network, launching freighter services to eight new destinations: Copenhagen, Narita, Bangkok, Mumbai, Beirut, Conakry, Phnom Penh (KTI) and Hanoi. It also boosted additional weekly frequencies to high-volume destinations such as Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Johannesburg.
The airline also upgraded its on-road fleet by taking delivery of 40 low-emissions Euro 6 trucks from MAN Trucks. And by Q1 2026, the road fleet will be bolstered with the delivery of five hydrogen-powered trucks, marking a milestone in the company’s gradual transition to alternate fuel vehicles.
