Emirates announced today a new service connecting Dubai (DXB) and Penang International Airport (PEN) via Singapore (SIN) that will include fifth freedom rights, beginning April 9. Emirates will operate the flight using a 777-300ER aircraft, with capacity for up to 15 tonnes of cargo.
Fifth freedom rights allow foreign airlines to carry passenger and cargo traffic from their own country to a second country, and from that country to a third country, and so on, and are seen as an intermediate step toward scheduled roundtrip freighter flights.
According to Emirates, SkyCargo, its cargo arm, transported close to 23,000 tons of cargo in the last financial year on the route to and from Kuala Lumpur, a 17% increase in the volume carried on the route year over year.
While Emirates has been operating flights with these rights between SIN and Kuala Lumpur (KUL) since 1996, the expansion of this network to PEN is aimed at supporting Malaysian business export needs as trade growth there is anticipated to continue during the coming year.
Emirates anticipates exports from Malaysia on these cargo flights will include products such as electronic products and components, perishables, fresh flowers, fashion goods and spare parts for other industries, including aviation, oil and gas as well as renewable energy.