Emirates SkyCargo has added seven weekly freighter flights to South America in 2026, lifting cargo capacity across four major markets as export volumes climb sharply.

The split: three additional weekly flights to Buenos Aires, two to São Paulo, one to Bogotá and one to Quito. The move responds to double-digit year-on-year growth in export volumes from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador during the first half of the carrier's 2026/27 financial year.

Since April 2026, Emirates SkyCargo has moved more than 22,000 tonnes of export cargo from these four markets — an 18% increase over the same period last year.

Which market is growing fastest?

Argentina leads the pack. Export volumes rose 57% year-on-year in the first half of FY26/27, the strongest gain in the carrier's South American network.

The trajectory of the Buenos Aires service tells the story. Emirates SkyCargo launched weekly freighter operations there in March 2026, then scaled to three weekly flights by July.

Brazil posted a 22% increase in export volumes. The carrier now operates four weekly freighter services from São Paulo, including two frequencies added this year.

Colombia recorded 18% growth. A weekly freighter service to Bogotá started in May, adding capacity for flowers and other perishable products.

Why does Ecuador matter most?

Ecuador remains Emirates SkyCargo's largest South American export market, and it keeps getting bigger.

The airline added a sixth weekly freighter service from Quito in May 2026, bringing total weekly export capacity to 600 tonnes. Export volumes from Ecuador rose 14% in the first half of FY26/27.

Flowers dominate the trade lane. They account for more than 90% of the carrier's export cargo from Ecuador, and in FY25/26 alone Emirates SkyCargo moved nearly 24,000 tonnes of flowers out of the country.

The perishables footprint across the region is substantial: since April 2024, the airline has carried close to 80,000 tonnes of perishables from its four South American markets, including 66,000 tonnes of fresh flowers.

What is driving the fleet behind the network?

The South American expansion forms part of a wider freighter build-out. Since March 2026, Emirates SkyCargo has taken delivery of seven Boeing 777 production freighters plus its first converted Boeing 777-300ERSF.

The carrier expects to operate 23 dedicated freighter aircraft by the end of March 2027.

The global freighter network has grown in parallel — from just over 40 destinations in March 2026 to more than 60 by July.

What does this mean for shippers and forwarders?

For perishables shippers in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador, the added frequencies translate into more direct lift to Dubai and onward connections, reducing reliance on interline transfers and European gateways for flower and fresh produce exports.

For competitors on the South America–Middle East and South America–Asia lanes, the capacity injection tightens the contest for temperature-sensitive cargo, where schedule reliability and cold-chain handling decide contracts.

Forwarders booking flower exports out of Quito and Bogotá now face a strengthened carrier option with dedicated freighter product rather than belly-hold dependence, which should support rate stability into peak perishables seasons.

With the freighter fleet heading to 23 aircraft by March 2027 and the network past 60 destinations, Emirates SkyCargo has signalled that South American perishables capacity will keep expanding alongside demand.