Emirates to temporarily shift all cargo operations to Dubai airport

DUBAI (Reuters) - Emirates will operate all cargo services from Dubai International Airport from Wednesday, temporarily suspending operations at Dubai's Al Maktoum airport, the airline said on its website.

Freighter aircraft typically operate at Al Maktoum, a smaller airport in Dubai's south.

Emirates said it was consolidating cargo flights to a single airport to streamline operations between freighters and passenger aircraft now used for cargo-only services.

The airline has suspended all passenger flights due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Emirates would operate cargo-only flights using Boeing <BA.N> 777 passenger aircraft to over 30 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia, it said.

"We have been able to establish a new network and schedule for our cargo operations within a very short period of time, utilising lower deck capacity on our widebody Boeing 777 passenger aircraft," Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo, Nabil Sultan said in a statement.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)