IAG Cargo is set to relaunch flights between Dublin and Miami International Airport on Friday. Starting as a twice-weekly service before upping to three times a week on October 31st, the route will primarily focus on exporting pharmaceutical and medical products out of Ireland’s burgeoning pharmaceutical market.

“Miami is one of our latest transatlantic routes to resume on Aer Lingus and we’re excited to be building back our USA connectivity this year,” noted Pravin Singh, IAG Cargo’s Vice President of Commercial Americas.

“We look forward to providing this service for our customers to our base in Dublin, following a temporary pause. Miami is an important part of our network, allowing customers to also move their products from Central and South America through our interline partners, supplementing our own capacity”.

Further details

From October 21st, the twice-weekly flights will reconnect Dublin with Miami, utilizing Aer Lingus’ long-range Airbus A330-300 fleet. The widebodies are capable of transporting up to 20 tonnes of cargo across seven pallets each flight.

Starting October 31st, services will up to three times a week, operating on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

The services support Ireland’s rapidly growing pharmaceutical market, which currently hosts plants for over 120 overseas companies across the country, including industry leaders Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Roche. IAG Cargo has notably worked to establish a comprehensive Constant Climate network, connecting the pharmaceutical industry to over 100 destinations worldwide.

Following certification by the Irish Exporters Association GDP passport program, IAG Cargo now operates 10 Constant Climate services to the United States and Canada out of its Dublin hub using temperature-controlled modules, keeping vaccines, biosamples, and medicines at the required 2-8 or 15-25 degrees Celsius.

“It’s great to see our once popular Dublin to Miami route back in action. Dublin Airport is home to our sister airline, Aer Lingus, and is a central hub for our Constant Climate network,” added Daniel Byrne, IAG Cargo’s Regional Commercial Manager for the UK and Ireland.

“I’m very pleased to be offering our customers the opportunity to transport vital pharmaceutical cargo and medical equipment between Europe and the USA.”

Driving growth

During the height of the pandemic, IAG Cargo transported over 10 million COVID-19 vaccines and 20,000 tonnes of PPE worldwide from its dedicated hubs at London Heathrow, Madrid, and Dublin, facilitated by its sister airlines British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus.

Through its support of the UNICEF COVAX initiative, the carrier aided with the shipment of vital vaccines to developing countries, including four million to Abuja in Nigeria alone.

Earlier this week, IAG Cargo announced the resumption of flights between Barcelona and Santiago de Chile International Airport from October 31st through the belly hold of LEVEL’s transatlantic services. Stepping away from pharmaceuticals, the four-weekly flights will aid with the movement of perishable foods between Latin America and Europe to support local farming communities.

Finding a niche serving perishable sectors has likely aided IAG Cargo’s continued post-pandemic growth. In July, the carrier reported a 9.6% increase in the first half of the year compared to 2021, generating €843 million ($860 million) in revenue.

What are your thoughts on IAG Cargo’s growth in Dublin? Let us know in the comments.