Purple island hoppers
For the second year in a row Emirates SkyCargo cooperated with Gargash, a large luxury car distributor in the UAE, as part of the latter’s involvement in the Gumball 3000 Rallye. Four racing cars were transported to Mykonos and then picked up again on Ibiza.
The Gumball 3000 is no ordinary rallye. The participation fee is so large that the 21st edition, which started on the Greek island of Mykonos on 7 June and ended on the island of Ibiza (Spain) on 15 June, saw celebrities and millionaires compete amongst themselves. Gargash, a team that hails from the UAE, was back on the scene this year too. To get to the action it entered into a partnership with Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of the Dubai-based Emirati airline.
The agreement was first implemented in 2018; now a new version was signed by Emirates SkyCargo’s divisional senior vice-president Nabil Sultan, and the Gargash Group’s managing director and group CEO Shebab Gargash. It provides for Emirates SkyCargo to transport four Mercedes-AMG GT63 four-door coupés from Dubai to the start of the Gumball 3000 event, and thence back to the UAE. The aircraft used will be a Boeing B777F, which can carry up to 100 t of freight, thanks partially to its large-format side-loading bays.
For expensive vehicles
“Our successful collaboration efforts last year helped with the introduction of ‘Emirates wheels’, a product that specialises in transporting road vehicles, for the public in the UAE as well as around the world,” said Sultan, who hopes that this year’s event will trigger a similar effect. Gargash underlined how pleased he is that his firm, founded in 1958, is once again collaborating with his country’s airline. “Two pioneering Emirati firms have joined forces to turn the heads of car enthusiasts around the world and make the race a success.”
Modern infrastructure and know-how
Emirates SkyCargo regularly transports high-quality as well as unique vehicles in its passenger and cargo aircraft. ‘Emirates wheels’ uses modern infrastructure as well as its experienced staff’s know-how to load and unload the aircraft. More than 1,000 luxury cars were transported in the latest business year.
4 x 630 horse-power and 91 horses
Emirates SkyCargo’s services are not limited to transporting 4 x 630 horse-power. It also flew 91 live horses from Liège (Belgium) to China and back for the ‘Longines Global Champions Tour’ show-jumping event, held in Shanghai early in May. More than 2,000 of our four-legged friends enjoyed the special services offered by ‘Emirates equine’ on 39 charter flights in 2018 – 2019.
