Emirates SkyCargo has transported Altair-1, the UAE’s first commercial AI-enabled earth observation satellite, from Dubai World Central to Los Angeles International Airport ahead of a scheduled October 2026 launch.
The satellite was carried aboard a Boeing 777 freighter and is the product of Orbitworks, a UAE-based manufacturer developing the Altair constellation, a ten-satellite system built and designed in the country.
The full constellation is equipped with optical, infrared, thermal and RF sensing capabilities alongside onboard AI processing, and is intended to support applications including environmental monitoring, disaster response, maritime domain awareness, and infrastructure assessment.
“Emirates SkyCargo is proud to support Orbitworks at this significant moment and contribute to the UAE’s growing reputation as a global hub for innovation, advanced technologies and specialised logistics. Transporting highly sensitive and technologically advanced cargo requires precision and expertise and we are well positioned through decades of deep expertise to support this critical mission. The movement of Altair-1 from the UAE to the United States ahead of its launch also underlines the role of specialised air cargo solutions in supporting the global aerospace sector,” Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo said in a statement.
“Altair-1 is the product of hard work by an incredible team, and today marks a historic moment, not just for Orbitworks, but for the UAE’s ambitions in space. We could not have reached this point without in-country partners like Emirates SkyCargo, whose care and expertise got Altair safely from Dubai to Los Angeles. We are incredibly proud of what our team has built, and we now look forward to October, when Altair-1 will launch into orbit and begin its mission,” Schahan Sediqi, General Manager, Orbitworks added.
Emirates SkyCargo managed the end-to-end movement through its Aerospace and Engineering vertical, maintaining environmental and safety controls throughout.
The shipment follows a string of comparable moves for the cargo carrier. It recently transported Arab Satellite 813 from Dubai to a launch site near Shanghai, and in 2018 carried Khalifasat, the first satellite built entirely by UAE engineers, from Dubai to South Korea.
Emirates SkyCargo says it has moved over 6,000 tonnes of aerospace and advanced engineering cargo so far in 2026. The carrier has also been expanding its fleet, taking delivery of six Boeing 777-F production freighters and one converted Boeing 777-300ERSF since March, with five additional aircraft due later this year. Its freighter network now covers more than 60 destinations.
