Emirates is taking express delivery to a new level with the launch of Emirates Courier Express, a door-to-door shipping service that promises to treat packages like VIP passengers. Originally teased as an April Fool’s joke, the service is real, and it’s now live in seven markets, including the UAE, UK, and Saudi Arabia.
Built for businesses, Emirates Courier Express skips the usual stopovers by flying packages directly from origin to destination. This approach helps avoid delays, reduces handling, and speeds up delivery, with some shipments reaching their destination in under 48 hours during pilot tests.
“Emirates Courier Express is an evolution in how we move goods across the globe, at speed and at scale,” said Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President at Emirates SkyCargo. “This is only the beginning of our vision to continuously innovate and lead the charge in the express delivery sector.”
There are two shipping options: First, which offers next-business-day delivery for packages up to 30 kg, and Premium, a 2–4 business day option for shipments up to 70 kg.
The service is only available to businesses. Companies can sign up at emiratescx.com, where they’ll be approved and onboarded within a few business days. Individuals and personal shoppers will need to stick with Emirates Delivers, the airline’s B2C shipping option.
“Emirates Courier Express is the result of challenging the status quo,” said Dennis Lister, Senior Vice President of Product and Innovation. “We challenged ourselves to find a better way to transport these goods faster and more efficiently.”
The service uses Emirates’ fleet of 250+ aircraft and its global flight network, combined with partner support for customs and last-mile delivery. Packages are tracked in real time, and if delivery fails, the service will try again up to three times.
Emirates partnered with SmartKargo to help customers track packages live, connect the platform to their own systems, and even book temperature-controlled shipping for items like medicine and vaccines.
The service currently operates in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, South Africa, and the UK, with more markets on the way. If Emirates flies there, Emirates Courier Express aims to deliver there, too.
